KUANTAN, June 12 — Thick black smoke billowed across the Gebeng industrial area here after a fire broke out at a scheduled waste processing facility early today, prompting the temporary evacuation of about 200 students from a nearby training institute.
The Fire and Rescue Department received an emergency call at 6.29am and dispatched personnel from the Kuantan, Gebeng and Taman Tas stations to the scene.
National newswire Bernama reported Pahang Fire and Rescue Department director Datuk Mohd Razam Taja Rahim as saying that firefighters found the blaze had erupted inside the factory and involved oil-based materials and solvents.
“The fire also affected the warehouse at the factory. However, there were no casualties involved so far and at the time of the incident, there were no workers inside the factory,” he told reporters at the scene.
He said the fire was brought under control at 8.25am, preventing it from spreading to surrounding areas.
As a precaution, about 200 students from the nearby Industrial Training Institute were moved to a safe location while emergency operations were underway.
“Our Hazardous Materials Special Team is still controlling and monitoring the incident site to ensure the area is safe and free from any contamination risks that could threaten public safety,” Mohd Razam said.
He said the cause of the fire and the extent of losses are still being investigated.
More than 50 firefighters and officers were involved in the operation, assisted by over 30 personnel from agencies including the police and the Health Ministry.
Videos of the fire, captured by motorists travelling through the industrial area during the morning rush hour, circulated widely on social media.
A Bernama survey at the scene found police had cordoned off access routes to the factory while firefighters continued follow-up inspections after the blaze was extinguished.
