Man, 26, dies after falling into chemical waste tank in Pasir Gudang

A 26-year-old man has died after falling into a sludge tank at an industrial area in Pasir Gudang, Johor, on Sunday (Aug 16) night.

Pasir Gudang Fire and Rescue Station operations commander Firdaus Ahmad said they received an emergency call at about 9.50pm, according to the New Straits Times.

Firefighters found the victim approximately 1.5m deep inside a waste metal hydroxide sludge tank, reported Free Malaysia Today.

The victim was subsequently retrieved using special equipment, said Firdaus, and was pronounced dead at the scene by medical personnel.

The sludge tank, which reportedly has a capacity of  about 15,000 cubic metres, is used to store residue generated during industrial wastewater treatment and metal-processing operations.

The victim is believed to be a worker at the industrial site, although it is not sure how he ended up in the tank.

Investigations are ongoing.

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xingying.koh@asiaone.com