In a press statement, Petronas Gas Berhad (PGB) confirmed that an employee of its contractor was killed in the incident, which occurred when repair work was being carried out at the plant.
“PGB is extending all necessary assistance to the family members of the victim,” the statement read, adding that the company was working with the relevant authorities to establish the cause of the accident.
It said the Petronas group of companies consistently adhered to stringent safety measures at all times, in line with international standards at all of its operations.
Meanwhile, according to a report by the New Straits Times, the four were welders who were believed to be on duty fixing gas leaks at the scene when the explosion took place.
District police chief Superintendent Che Suza Che Hitam reportedly said police were alerted about the incident at 1.30am today when a worker lodged a report at the Kertih police station.
The report added the deceased was identified as Muhammad Firdaus Hassan, 26, from Jalan Kenanga, Sura Jeti in Dungun.
“We have yet to get the details of the other three workers, who have been warded at the Kemaman Hospital here,” he was quoted as saying.
He added police were investigating and were in the process of recording statements by witnesses to find out the cause of the explosion.
The victim’s body was sent to the forensic unit of the Kemaman Hospital for a post-mortem.
On May 10, 2012, an explosion at the GPP complex A in Kerteh, Terengganu also saw one worker, Rosli Mansur from Paka, killed while several others were injured.
According to a statement by PGB at the time, the incident happened at GPP 3 which was under planned maintenance shutdown.
“A number of employees of Hyundai-PFCE Consortium (HPC), which is the contractor engaged to undertake the maintenance works at the GPP, were affected by the incident,” the 2012 statement read.