PASIR GUDANG, March 15 — The Johor state government will wait for confirmation from the Chemistry Department first whether cyanide was present in the toxic fumes in Sungai Kim Kim here.

Amid such rumours, Johor Health, Environment and Agriculture Committee chairman Dr Sahruddin Jamal said it is still waiting for the relevant toxicology test report.

"Let us wait for the test results from the Chemistry Department first before we can conclude if there is cyanide,” he said on the sidelines of Deputy Defence Minister Liew Chin Tong’s visiting to the operations centre and medic base at the Pasir Gudang Indoor Stadium.

Dr Sahruddin was asked to comment on a since-deleted tweet by Johor Crown Prince Tunku Ismail Ibrahim who claimed that there was cyanide found in the victims.

Cyanide is a rapidly acting, potentially deadly chemical that can exist in various forms. Cyanide can be a colourless gas, such as hydrogen cyanide (HCN) or cyanogen chloride (CNCl), or a crystal form such as sodium cyanide (NaCN) or potassium cyanide (KCN).

Victims are usually exposed to cyanide by breathing air, drinking water, eating food, or touching soil that contains cyanide.

Cyanide enters water, soil, or air as a result of both natural processes and industrial activities. When present in air, it is usually in the form of gaseous hydrogen cyanide.