JOHOR BARU – A ship off the coast of Johor was reported to have been in flames, with three crew members unaccounted for.
According to a statement by Johor Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) director First Admiral Nurul Hizam Zakaria, authorities received a distress call from the Gabon-registered ship at 4pm today.
It is understood the ship caught fire near Tg Sedili. Hizam said the tanker was en route to Singapore from China when the fire started.
“The fire broke out 37.5 nautical miles (69km) northeast of Tg Sedili,” he said.
According to a statement by Johor Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) director First Admiral Nurul Hizam Zakaria, authorities received a distress call from the Gabon-registered ship at 4pm today. pic.twitter.com/ouZBIKe0BV
— TheVibes.com (@thevibesnews) May 1, 2023
MMEA launched a rescue operations team on its Petir 12 patrol boat and saved two crew members, while 23 others were saved by two nearby ships.
“The search-and-rescue operation was activated this evening. A team on the Petir 12 patrol boat was deployed to the scene and managed to rescue two of the tanker’s crew members.
“Twenty-three others were rescued by two vessels nearby, while the remaining three crew members are still missing,” he added.
Hizam said that rescue operations are now focused on finding the three missing crew members, adding that investigations are underway to determine the cause of the fire. – The Vibes, May 1, 2023
