CHUKAI, Dec 7 — The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) rescued 15 crew members from a cargo ship that suffered a serious leak while sailing from Lumut, Perak, to Vietnam early Saturday morning.
Kemaman Maritime Zone director, Maritime Commander Abdul Halim Hamzah, said the incident occurred at around 1 am when the cargo ship carrying clay was about 59 nautical miles northeast of Merchang in Marang.
“The incident was reported after the Maritime Rescue Sub Centre (MRSC) Kuantan activated emergency procedures and instructed the vessel to move closer to shore to minimise risk.
“Following the report, Malaysian Maritime patrol vessel, KM Sebatik, was dispatched to the location and safely transferred the crew members at a position approximately five nautical miles east of Kampung Jambu Bongkok, Marang,” he said in a statement.
Abdul Halim said all rescued crew, comprising 13 Vietnamese nationals and one each from India and Bangladesh, aged between 21 and 54, were brought to the Kemaman Maritime Zone jetty at 6.05 pm for health checks and handover to their agents.
