Two dead after ammonia gas leak at ice factory in Malaysia

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PETALING JAYA (THE STAR/ ASIA NEWS NETWORK) - Twenty-seven workers were exposed to ammonia gas when a leak occurred at an ice factory in Shah Alam on Monday (Aug 13), the Health Ministry confirmed.

In a statement on Monday, Selangor Health Department director Khalid Ibrahim said 10 workers had to be intubated and nine others were being monitored at several hospitals, namely the Tengku Ampuan Rahimah Hospital in Klang, Shah Alam Hospital, Sungai Buloh Hospital and Banting Hospital.

Six workers were released and taught to recognise signs of ammonia gas poisoning, he added.

There have been two fatalities, believed to be Indian nationals, so far from the incident.

The ministry confirmed that the incident took place at the factory in Kampung Jawa at 5.20am on Monday.

Resident 70-year-old R. Nachiammah said she watched helplessly as paramedics tried to save the affected foreign workers.

"It was sad to see them struggling for their lives. These boys had come all the way from their homeland to earn a living and then this happens," she said.

Medical personnel attending to some of the workers affected by the gas leak. PHOTO: THE STAR/ ASIA NEWS NETWORK

She lives in Pangsapuri Sri Era along Jalan Nagasari, located 300m from the ice factory where the leak occurred.

Another resident, Madam Kalsom Ahmad, 71, said her daughter alerted her family of six after detecting the foul stench at around 5am.

The smell, she said, was acrid and filled the entire house.

"We could not breathe inside the house. We had to come out but we couldn't carry my paralysed husband, so we kept going back in to check on him. The stench stayed in the air until 1pm," Madam Kalsom said.

Meanwhile, Fire and Rescue Department head Yusri Basri said they managed to locate the source of the leak at 1.20pm.

He said a consultant had been brought in to fix a damaged pipe attached to an ice-processing machine.

The cause of the incident is still being investigated by the Fire and Rescue Department, and the police.

Fire and Rescue Department personnel at the scene of the gas leak in Kampung Jawa. PHOTO: THE STAR/ ASIA NEWS NETWORK

All health facilities in Selangor have been informed about the incident, Datuk Khalid said, so that they can alert the operations room at the state Health Department's Crisis Preparedness and Response Centre (CPRC) if there are patients who show signs of ammonia poisoning.

He said symptoms of ammonia poisoning include headaches, cough, itchy eyes and nose, and drooling. Ammonia poisoning can also cause irritation and burns on the exposed skin.

"High exposure (to ammonia) could cause breathing difficulties caused by bronchospasm and pulmonary edema. This condition could lead to death," he said.

Selangor Mentri Besar Amirudin Shari said in a statement that the state government viewed the incident seriously and instructed the Shah Alam City Council (MBSA) and the relevant departments to take necessary action to ensure the safety of residents nearby.

MBSA said the factory had the licence to process ice, but did not have permission to house hazardous materials.

"For now, we have asked them to cease operations," it said in a statement.

The incident resulted in residents within a 3km radius of the ice factory being ordered to vacate their houses and buildings.

A Chinese school located in front of the factory was also advised to close for the day for safety reasons. The school will reopen on Tuesday.

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