Fire breaks out at RMN ship ammunition storage room

IPOH - A small fire broke out in the ammunition storage room of the Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) ship KD Laksamana Muhammad Amin, which was being repaired at Kilang Gred One, Kampung Acheh, near Sitiawan, this morning.

Perak Fire and Rescue Department Operations Division assistant director Sabarodzi Nor Ahmad said firefighters from the Sitiawan and Manjung Fire and Rescue stations were dispatched to the scene after receiving a distress call at 10.03am.

"The incident involved a 50-metre x 10-metre RMN vessel that was undergoing repairs, but there was no ammunition in the room, and the damage incurred was only 10 per cent,” he said in a statement.

Sabarodzi said firemen are controlling the air flow and work to put out the blaze was still ongoing.

Meanwhile, the Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN), in a statement, said that the fire was detected by the ship's personnel at 9.50am and that it was finally extinguished within 20 minutes as a result of swift action by the shipyard crew members and the fire department.

"The affected part of the ship is a small part of the main passage, the rear accommodation and the ammunition storage room.

"In accordance with RMN standard operating procedures, when a ship undergoes repair at the shipyard, all explosives are moved out for safe storage," the statement said.

It said that the ship was also not occupied during that period except for officers carrying out security patrols at certain times.

There were no casualties or major damage caused by the fire. The cause of the fire and the actual damage estimate can only be known after the fire department's investigation is completed, said RMN.

It also said that an investigation board was established to identify the cause of the incident. - BERNAMA