At least 39 people have fallen ill following a gas leak at Malaysia’s Kuala Lumpur International Airport, according to authorities cited by Al Jazeera on Friday.
The incident, which occurred on Thursday, involved a chemical leak at an aircraft engineering facility separate from the main passenger terminal, as reported by the Selangor State Fire Department.
“A total of 39 victims suffered from dizziness and nausea,” stated local rescue officer Muhammad Nur Khairi Samsumin.
One of the affected individuals was hospitalized, while fourteen others were treated at the airport’s air disaster unit, according to Al Jazeera. All those impacted are employees of three companies operating at the site.
Officials confirmed that there was no increased risk to public safety, and the incident did not affect travelers or flights. The gas leak originated from a skid tank that had been neglected for nine years, as per police reports.
Muhammad Nur identified the leaking substance as methyl mercaptan, a chemical added to liquefied petroleum gas to give it a distinctive rotten cabbage odor for leak detection.
