FIVE workers at the Gokongwei-controlled JG Summit Petrochemical Complex in Batangas City were injured during the fire that hit a containment basin Saturday night, September 26, 2020.

The fire was doused after nearly three hours and did not spread to the main manufacturing site of the petrochemical complex, JG Summit Holdings Inc. said in a statement Tuesday, September 29.

However, operations of the naphtha cracker and projects construction adjacent to the affected site were halted to pave the way for an investigation jointly conducted by the JG Summit Petrochemicals Group (JGSPG) and the Bureau of Fire Protection.

Damage to the facility was still being assessed Tuesday. The naphtha cracker operations are seen to resume later this week.

JGSPG’s polymer plants have remained operational while projects-related construction has continued in areas within the complex that were not affected by the fire.

The company said the fire was an isolated incident that broke out at a containment basin near the pier area.

The first alarm was raised at 9:05 p.m. Saturday, and fire out was declared at 11:55 p.m., nearly three hours later.

Employees and third-party contractors of JGSPG who were inside the complex were evacuated.

Of the five workers who were injured, three are third-party contractors. They have been admitted for second degree burns, the company said.

All five injured workers were taken to the Jesus of Nazareth Hospital in Batangas City for treatment.

JG Summit said its subsidiary JGSPG immediately activated safety and fire suppression protocols.

An in-house emergency response team worked with the Batangas City Bureau of Fire Protection Personnel, the City Risk Reduction Management Office, and other firefighting volunteers to contain the fire. (MVI/SunStar Philippines)