BAGAN SERAI, Sept 26 — No hazardous substances were detected in the air around Kampung Parit Mentara 3, here following the spill of about 20,000 litres of Aceton early yesterday morning.
Perak Fire and Rescue Department operations assistant director, Mohamed Yunus Abu said the Hazardous Materials Unit (Hazmat) team had used three types of hazardous chemical detectors, namely litmus paper, ‘GFG 450’ and Gasmed.
He said the three-time detection using litmus paper and GFG 450 four times did not give any disturbing readings.
“The GFG 450 can detect four major substances namely oxygen, carbon dioxide, methane gas and hydrogen sulphide and monitoring until 3 am did not indicate any hazardous substances in the air,” he told Bernama.
According to Mohamad Yunus, Gasmed which can detect up to 2,500 chemicals which was used during operations at Sungai Kim Kim, Pasir Gudang, Johor, in March, also showed no harmful readings in the air.
Mohamad Yunus advised residents not to panic as measures had been taken to minimise any risks.
He said firefighters had also pumped water into the trailer’s tank to ensure that the Acetone was in a dissolved state for three hours starting at 1am.
On operations to relocate the overturned trailer, Mohamad Yunus said that they had difficulties because the path to the location was not only narrow, but the road too soft, and was difficult for the crane to enter.
“We will try to move the trailer today hopefully by late evening,” he said.
Meanwhile, Kampung Parit Mentara 3 Community Management Council chairman Halmi Omar said there was no directive to vacate their homes. So far only three families comprising 10 people have been evacuated.
Meanwhile, a resident Masrah Masran, 76, claimed his 30-year-old son was admitted to Parit Buntar Hospital yesterday evening after complaining of dizziness, vomiting and nausea believed to be due to chemical inhalation.
“Myself, my four grandchildren and one child were ordered to move to Surau Ar-Rahman since yesterday,” he told Bernama.
A Bernama survey also found that two medical officers from the Kerian District Health Centre were conducting health checks on residents at the site.
Yesterday, a trailer carrying more than 20,00 litres of acetone travelling from Klang, Selangor to Penang skidded and overturned into a canal at about 5am.
Acetone is a colourless chemical liquid, highly flammable and is often used as a solvent in paint and nail polish. — Bernama
