KUANTAN: Two people were injured in an accident involving a tanker truck carrying chemicals and a trailer loaded with used iron in Muadzam Shah, Rompin.
Pahang Fire and Rescue Department assistant director of operations and rescue, Mohd Salahuddin Isa, said his department received an emergency call at 12.52am on Sunday.
He said eight firemen from the Muadzam Shah Fire and Rescue Station rushed to the scene of the incident at KM109 Jalan Kuantan-Segamat near Kampung Gadak bridge.
He said upon arriving at the location, one victim was found trapped while the other was freed by members of the public.
“Firefighters used special equipment to remove the trapped victim before taking the driver to the hospital,” he said, Bernama reported.
He said further inspection found a leak in the tanker truck and a spill of chemicals, but heavy rain at the time of the accident washed them away.
Mohd Salahuddin said the department had also reported the chemical spill to the Pahang Environment Department for further action.
Meanwhile, Rompin district police chief Supt Sharif Shai Sharif Mondoi said initial investigations found that the accident likely occurred when the driver, a 53-year-old man, lost control of the tanker truck and entered the left shoulder of the road.
“The vehicle then swerved to its right and entered the opposite lane before hitting the right side of a trailer driven by a 46-year-old man,” he said.
Both drivers were injured and were taken to Hospital Muadzam Shah for treatment.
