Explosion at Malaysian Steel Plant Injures Six Workers

An explosion Tuesday afternoon at a steel plant in East Malaysia left six workers with minor injuries.

The Southeast Asian nation is divided in two by the South China Sea. Smoke from the fire on the Malay Peninsula could be seen from East Malaysia 400 miles away, local media report.

At about 4:28 p.m., an explosion ripped through the boiler house inside the three-story steel factory building of Ann Joo Steel in Perai. The six workers, attempting to deal with a fire, were injured in the blast.

Responders with the Perai Fire and Rescue Department arrived to find flames spreading inside the boiler house. The injured were transported to a nearby hospital for treatment.

Between the flames and the explosion, nearly 30 percent of the boiler house received damage. Firefighters concentrated on cooling the hot liquid inside the boiler.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.