Selangor Fire and Rescue Department assistant director (Operations) Mohd Sani Harul said the bodies of Baskaran, Mohd Ziehafizan Abd Rahman, 28, and Zamri Adenan, 35, have been handed over to the factory management for further action.

He said it was understood that the body of Mohd Ziehafizan, who was site supervisor, and Zamri and Baskaran, who were technicians, would be taken to the Sungai Buloh Hospital for a post-mortem.

Meanwhile, Gombak District Police chief ACP Ali Ahmad said the large volume of diesel, approximately 725,000 litres in total, made the process of fishing out the victims’ bodies difficult.

He said up to 13 tanker lorries had to be deployed to pump out the excess diesel from the tank.

“The effort to pump out the diesel began at about 10pm yesterday…all the victims were found this afternoon, but the cause of the explosion is still being investigated,” he told reporters at the location.

In the incident at about 4pm yesterday, it is understood that all three victims were carrying out maintenance work at the tank before an explosion occurred, causing them to fall into the tank.