KUALA LUMPUR, 5 Nov 2017:
A thorough investigation is being conducted on the cause of the explosion that happened on a 4.26m-high storage tank at a factory owned by Lafarge Malaysia yesterday, which claimed the lives of three maintenance workers.
In a statement yesterday, Lafarge Malaysia chief executive officer Thierry Legrand said the company is working with relevant authorities on the investigation.
“We regret to inform that the bodies of our three colleagues have been recovered today from the fire damaged oil tank.
“We are deeply saddened by this tragedy and our immediate priority is our employees and their families.”
He said the company, with police and Fire and Rescue personnel mounted a search and recovery operation immediately after the fire was extinguished around 5pm, which continued through the night.
“The first (body) was recovered around 3.45pm, the second at 5pm and the third at 6pm. They are now with the authorities for identification.”
In the 4pm incident on Friday, Mohd Ziehafizan Abd Rahman, 28, Zamri Adenan, 35, and T. Baskaran, 49, who were doing maintenance work on the tank when the explosion happened, were feared to have fallen into the burning container.
The rescue team had to drain over 725,000 litres of diesel from the tank to locate the victims after firefighters put out the fire.
Selangor Fire and Rescue Department assistant director (operations) Mohd Sani Harul said the bodies of Baskaran, Mohd Ziehafizan and Zamri Adenan have been handed over to the factory management for further action.
He said it was understood the body of Mohd Ziehafizan, who was site supervisor, and Zamri and Baskaran, who were technicians, would be taken to the Sungai Buloh Hospital for post-mortem.
Meanwhile, Gombak district police chief ACP Ali Ahmad said the large volume of diesel oil of up to 725,000 litres made the process of bringing out the bodies of the victims difficult.
He said up to 13 tanker lorries had to be used to pump out the excess diesel from the tank.
– Bernama
