Fire at plastic-processing factory at Bukit Minyak causes RM15 mln damage
BUKIT MERTAJAM: A fire yesterday at a factory processing plastic goods in the Bukit Minyak industrial site here caused damage estimated at RM15 million.
As of 5pm, the fire had damaged more than 80 per cent of the factory and caused part of the building structure to topple.
“The operation to extinguish the fire was continuing, with 66 fire-fighters on the ground and assisted by 200 people from 17 volunteer fire-fighting teams.
“We were also assisted by the police, the Red Crescent Society and Tenaga Nasional Berhad,” said Penang Fire and Rescue Department deputy director Mohd Syukri Abdullah.
He said the factory where the fire reportedly broke out at 11.15am was in the vicinity of several other factories processing hazardous goods such as chemicals, fuel, paint and recycled materials.
“When our fire-fighters arrived at the factory, the fire had engulfed 40 per cent of the building. We had difficulty fighting the fire because of low water pressure,” he said to reporters at the scene.
He said the fire- fighters took about 70 minutes to bring the blaze under control and prevent it from spreading to the other factories.
Mohd Syukri said the cause of the fire had yet to be determined but an eye-witness said a plasticprocessing machine exploded and set off the blaze.
No one was injured in the fire, he added. — Bernama