GEORGE TOWN: Fire destroyed at least 10 tightly packed wooden buildings by the sea, less than 50m from Chew Jetty.
A recycling centre was engulfed in the fire, with explosions heard repeatedly as flames spread to a nearby automobile service centre.
The blaze started at about 1am on Saturday (Aug 5) at the rear of a petrol station, about 200m from the ferry terminal.
Fire alerts caused a flurry of action among voluntary fire squads, with at least five squads from the island and mainland deploying their fire engines.
It is learnt that low water pressure at the scene hampered firefighting efforts.
The repeated explosions also woke nearby residents as the fire occurred close to a petrol station and the clan jetties.
The extent of the damage has yet to be determined.
Photographer Allen Lim deployed a drone and captured footage of voluntary firemen wading through mudflats at low tide to access buildings from the sea and check for trapped victims.
Tanjung MP Lim Hui Ying and Pengkalan Kota assemblyman Wong Yuee Harng were both at the scene.
