Kg Tambak Paya residents asked to vacate homes due to gas leak

Some 50 residents in Kampung Tambak Paya here have been told to vacate their homes due to a gas leak in the area.

Melaka Fire and Rescue Department Public relations officer Mohd Hafidzatullah Rashid said the department received a distress call at about 5.51 pm and 13 firemen from the Bukit Katil Fire and Rescue Station arrived at the scene at 6.01 pm.

“Arriving at the scene, the firemen encountered an unpleasant smell that irritates the eyes before instructing the residents to vacate their homes immediately,” he said when contacted by Bernama here Thursday.

He said the department was in the midst of investigating the cause of the incident and has taken the necessary steps to ensure the situation did not worsen.

"We are now identifying the types of chemicals and the Hazardous Materials Unit team is doing cleaning work,” he said.

It is understood some of the victims were rushed to the hospital after they were believed to have inhaled the gas but he declined to comment on the matter.

-- BERNAMA