A blast occurred at Petronas' Refinery and Petrochemical Integrated Development (Rapid) in Pengerang, Johor, early this morning, injuring two Malaysians, and it was swiftly put out. 

Petronas, in a statement, confirmed the incident and the ensuing fire at the oil and gas facility.

“Our Emergency and Fire Response Team (ERT) was deployed and the fire was contained within 30 minutes. The situation is under control and all relevant authorities have been informed.

“We will provide additional information in due course as (an) investigation is still being carried out,” it said.

Malaysiakini has contacted Petronas for more details.

The incident occurred about 1.25am at a portion of the 2,524-hectare PIC.

Social media is abuzz with reports of the explosion being felt in Pasir Gudang, which is about 80km away.

Alleged videos of the incident, which shows a large fire, with a huge plume of smoke rising towards the sky, are also making rounds on social media.

Two locals injured, police confirm

Kota Tinggi District police chief Ashmon Bajah later released a statement saying two Malaysians were injured during the “small fire”. They have since received medical attention for their wounds.

“We confirm that only two locals suffered from injuries and they have been treated as outpatients at the emergency medical facility in the Pengerang Rapid complex,” he said.

Ashmon praised Petronas’ ERT for their quick response, detailing how the team had managed to completely douse the fire at 2.15am using five Fire and Rescue Department vehicles and 30 officers.

Investigations into the cause of the blast and fire are underway and will be conducted by the Safety Department of the Petronas Rapid complex; the state government’s Safety, Security and Environment Committee and the Johor chapter of the National Disaster Management Agency (Nadma).

News reports have suggested that the fire and explosion were caused by a leaking gas tank.

The PIC is located at the southeastern tip of Johor and was previously reported to be nearing completion.

Meanwhile, the Economic Affairs Ministry is monitoring closely the situation at the Pengerang Integrated Complex.

Its minister Azmin Ali in a tweet today said Petronas and the relevant authorities are investigating the fire and explosion.