Owner dies, worker injured after explosion at Skudai workshop

JOHOR BARU: A tragic incident occurred in Taman Mutiara Rini near Skudai, resulting in the death of a workshop owner and serious injuries to his worker. The incident occurred on Monday night when a fire erupted at the workshop, leading to a devastating explosion. The 41-year-old owner lost his life at the scene due to severe injuries, while his worker suffered a broken leg and serious burns. The workshop was located along Jalan Persiaran Mutiara Mas.

Iskandar Puteri OCPD Asst Comm Rahmat Ariffin provided details about the incident. He revealed that both the owner and his worker were present at the workshop at the time of the incident. “The victim sustained serious injuries after his workshop caught fire. Soon after, an explosion occurred, resulting in the owner’s demise. The worker, a 27-year-old man, suffered serious burn injuries and a broken leg,” said ACP Rahmat.

Following the incident, both the deceased owner’s body and the injured worker were taken to Sultanah Aminah Hospital. The former for a post mortem, and the latter for medical treatment. The investigation into the cause of the fire and the extent of the losses is still ongoing, according to ACP Rahmat.

Mohd Faiz Suleiman, the operation commander at the Skudai fire and rescue station, shared more information about the incident. He mentioned that the authorities received a distress call at around 9:13 pm on Monday. In response, three Fire Rescue Tender (FRT) vehicles, one Emergency Medical Rescue Service (EMRS) unit, and a utility vehicle were dispatched to the scene. Firefighters from Skudai, Larkin, and Pekan Nanas fire and rescue stations joined forces to extinguish the fire and rescue the victims.

Upon arrival, it was observed that roughly 60% of the workshop had been destroyed by the fire, with the explosion causing damage to the windows of three nearby houses. Additionally, two lorries were consumed by the fire, while a 10-tonne lorry sustained damages from the explosion. The operation to control the fire concluded at 11:39 pm.

To determine the cause of the fire and assess the losses incurred, the fire department is conducting an ongoing investigation, as stated by Mohd Faiz. The incident began while the two victims were engaged in welding works at the workshop.