Pengerang: More than 29 hectares of the 51.4-hectare peatland area affected by a fire at Jalan Bypass Punggai-Sebana Cove in Pengerang, near Kota Tinggi, had been extinguished as of 4 pm today.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Sungai Rengit Fire and Rescue Station (BBP) operations commander Fire Superintendent II Baharuddin Idris stated that firefighting operations covering two sectors had been ongoing since the blaze broke out on Monday.

'The monitoring and firefighting operations are being carried out continuously for 24 hours to extinguish, control and prevent the fire from spreading,' he said in a statement. He added that the latest status showed that Sector A had more than 21 hectares remaining for firefighting and firebreak operations, while Sector B had been almost completely extinguished.

Baharuddin mentioned that an aircraft requested to assist with the firefighting operation, which was approved by the Air Operations Control Centre (PGOU), took off at 2.30 pm today. The operation involved 36 firefighters, nine personnel from the Malaysian Civil Defence Force (APM), 14 from Ranhill SAJ, two from the Department of Environment and three from the Pengerang Municipal Council.