Malaysia fights to rein in blaze at Tipco oil storage facility

SINGAPORE (REUTERS) – Fire and rescue officials are battling to contain a blaze at three oil storage tanks of the Tipco Asphalt refinery in Malaysia’s southern town of Kemaman, media said on Friday (July 6).

The fire, which began on Thursday, had spread to a third tank, the New Straits Times newspaper said on its website, adding that losses were expected to run into the millions of ringgit.

Authorities expect to douse the fire in the first two tanks by Friday afternoon, Malaysian media quoted Assistant Commissioner Azlimin Mat Noor, an official of the fire and rescue department in the state of Terengganu, as saying.

“We believe (the fire in) both tanks can be fully extinguished by this afternoon,” Asst Comm Azlimin said, according to the Malay-language Berita Harian newspaper.

“We are now focusing our efforts on putting out the fire in the third tank, which is still ablaze, and we do not know how long it will take.”

Tipco Asphalt did not immediately respond to a request from Reuters for comment. Tipco operates the refinery through its unit, Kemaman Bitumen Company Sdn Bhd.

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