JOHOR BARU, MALAYSIA - The Fire and Rescue Department has pooled resources from five states to battle the huge fire at the Tanjung Langsat Port Oil Terminal, which continues to rage on more than 48 hours after starting on Sunday evening.

The department has a 222-strong team and 15 fire engines from Pahang, Negri Sembilan, Perak, Malacca and Selangor working round-the-clock to put out the fire from two gigantic fuel tanks, one filled with gasoline and the other with naphta.

The department is being assisted by the Pasir Gudang emergency action team comprising trained fire-fighters from various petrochemical organisations based in Johor Port and Tanjung Langsat.

The tank that once contained 17,800 cubic metres of gasoline caught fire at 6.45pm on Sunday. High winds spread the fire to the second tank, filled with 8,000 cubic metres of naphtha, at 7.10pm the next day.

The gasoline tank, a huge cylindrical structure made of mild steel, is now a quarter of its height as the tank's walls have warped and buckled in the intense heat.
Seri Alam police chief Supt Roslan Zainuddin said all efforts were focused on putting out the fire at the burning tanks while the cooling-off process on nearby tanks continued.