KOTA TINGGI, May 1 — Three crew members of a tanker, registered in Gabon, Africa, have been reported missing after the ship caught fire about 37.5 nautical miles northeast of Tanjung Sedili here today.
Johor Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) director First Admiral Nurul Hizam Zakaria said the Maritime Rescue Sub Centre (MRSC) in Johor Bahru received a distress call about the incident at 4 pm.
He said the tanker, which had 28 crew members on board, was on its way to Singapore from China.
“The search and rescue operation was activated this evening and a team on 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 said in a statement tonight.
Nurul Hizam said more information regarding the ship’s crew members is being gathered and investigations into the cause of the incident are ongoing.
