Late night blast rocks Iskandar Puteri residents as factory goes up in flames

ISKANDAR PUTERI: A big explosion rocked residents of Lima Kedai here following a major fire that hit a factory at the Dato Yunus Sulaiman industrial park here.

As firemen were battling to control the fire, small explosions could be heard before a major explosion occurred at the factory at around 11pm on Monday night (May 27).

This led to security personnel such as firemen and police running for their safety from the scene.

Johor Fire and Rescue Department director Siti Rohani Nadir said the department received a distress call about the fire incident at around 6.37pm on Monday evening.

She added that a total of 50 firemen from five fire and rescue stations with six fire fighter volunteers from the Senai and Kulai Besar fire and rescue teams were deployed to the scene.

“We also sent out our assets such as three Fire Rescue Tender (FRT) vehicles, two tankers, one Light Fire Rapid Tender (LFRT), one Aerial Ladder Platform (ALP), one Compact Fire Rescue Tender (CFRT) and one

Emergency Medical Rescue Service (EMRS).

“The factory has seven building units which houses a paint processing and a lubricant processing facility.

"Inside, the factory has highly flammable materials such as solvent, acetone, and dimethyl ether (DME),” she said when met at the scene here on Monday night.

Siti Rohani said that based on early eyewitness reports, the fire started at the factory’s warehouse area.

“The department used both defensive and offensive techniques as well as extinguishing the fire using foam in the operation.

“The fire has been successfully controlled and at this time, cooling works are still being carried out until the fire is completely put out,” she said adding that no one was injured during the incident.

Siti Rohani also said that the department was still investigating the cause of the fire and estimated losses.

Meanwhile, Iskandar Puteri OCPD Asst Comm M. Kumarasan said police have instructed residents living within a 500m radius of the factory to stay away from the area.

“This is to ensure public safety. Once we receive advice from the Fire and Rescue Department that it is safe, we will let them in,” he added.

Firemen using an Aerial Ladder Platform (ALP) to control the fire, which occurred at a factory located at Dato Yunus Sulaiman industrial park at Lima Kedai in Iskandar Puteri, Johor on Monday (May 27) night.