3 missing men from S’pore-bound tanker that caught fire likely swept into Indonesian waters: Malaysian offical
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The Gabon-registered tanker was heading for Singapore from China when it caught fire on Monday, off the Johor coast.
PHOTO: MALAYSIAN MARITIME ENFORCEMENT AGENCY/FACEBOOK
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JOHOR BAHRU - A simulation shows that the three missing crewmen Singapore-bound tanker that caught fire on Monday
He said the Johor Bahru Maritime Rescue Sub-Centre had informed the Putrajaya Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre to request assistance from Indonesia’s National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas).
“The victims could have been swept away into Tanjung Pinang waters in Indonesia, based on a simulation from the Search and Rescue Optimal Planning System,” he said in a statement on Thursday.
First Adm Nurul Hizam added the search effort was also assisted by a marine police patrol boat and two patrol boats belonging to the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) with a search area covering 393 sq nautical miles.
He added that the MMEA special action team was able to lower a ladder to the Gabon-registered tanker MT Pablo from a helicopter for the Fire and Rescue Department hazardous materials (Hazmat) unit to search for victims in the vessel.
“However, the ship is not completely safe for the Hazmat team to enter.
“A navy vessel, which is the on-scene coordinator and another vessel from the Marine Department, has been spraying water on the hull of MT Pablo and monitoring the situation,” he said.
On Monday, the vessel, which was on its way from China to Singapore, caught fire some 60km north-east of Tanjung Sedili near Kota Tinggi, Johor.
The ship carried 28 crew members.
In a statement on Monday night, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) said the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre Singapore received information from the master of tanker Enola that the vessel had rescued 18 crew members from Pablo.
Seven other Pablo crew members were picked up by vessels in the vicinity.
There were no Singaporean crew members on board, the MPA said. THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
