(MENAFN) Based on local media reports, the Pengerang Integrated Complex near Kota Tinggi in Malaysia's southern state of Johor reported five of its personnel killed as fire flared up in the complex on Sunday.

Few hours before Sunday midnight, the state operations center had received an emergency call reporting the blast, Johor state Fire and Rescue Department operations commander Pauzan Ahmad declared.

Bernama state news agency cited Ahmad as saying "Upon arriving at the location, the team found that an explosion and fire occurred at the plant diesel hydrotreater unit which uses hydrogen to remove sulphur waste from raw diesel."

Hard efforts were ongoing to extinguish the blast, which claimed five lives and severely burnt one other, with authorities had launched an investigation to determine the reason behind the explosion, the commander stated.

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