TAWAU: A 29-year-old welder died while his two colleagues fainted after inhaling toxic gas while repairing a leaking ship tanker at Tinagat Road, Apas Parit yesterday.
Tsen Gaw Min died at the scene while Jamaludin Lalo and Adi Lalo were sent to the Tawau Hospital to receive treatment.
District Fire and Rescue Department acting station chief Faisal Ahmad said the department received a call at 3.13pm and arrived at the scene of the incident at 3.40pm.
He said a tanker ship used for transporting stones from a quarry in the area was berthed by the shore because of leakage.
The three workers pumped out water from the tanker before doing welding work on the leak.
Jamaludin and Adi were on top while Tsen went inside to weld the leak but fainted after inhaling the toxic gas. Jamaludin then went inside to save him but he too fainted. The third victim also went in to help and lost consciousness.