An oil tanker caught fireplace off the Malaysian coast, leaving three crew members lacking

(CNN) Malaysian maritime authorities stated in a press release that search efforts are underway for 3 lacking crew members after a Gabon-registered oil tanker caught fireplace off the coast of southern Malaysia.

The Malaysian Maritime Legislation Enforcement Company (MMEA) stated it obtained an alert at 4 p.m. native time on Monday of a hearth on a tanker, about 37.5 nautical miles northeast of the coastal district of Tanjung Sideli in Johor state.

The ministry stated the tanker was crusing from China to Singapore with 28 crew members on board when it caught fireplace.

The ministry added {that a} patrol boat was despatched to the accident website to rescue these on board. “Fortuitously, 23 crew members had been rescued by two ships within the neighborhood,” stated Rear Admiral Noor Hazam Zakaria, director of the Ministry of International Affairs and Arithmetic.

“Whereas we managed to rescue two crew members, three are nonetheless lacking,” he added.

Ongoing operations will embrace investigations into whether or not the trio deserted the tanker and jumped into the ocean, or in the event that they had been trapped.

Maritime authorities in neighboring Singapore stated they had been broadcasting alerts to ships within the neighborhood to seek for the three lacking crew. The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore recognized the tanker because the MT Pablo.

Movies confirmed the tanker on fireplace, with massive columns of black smoke billowing into the air. Different ships had been noticed close by.

It’s presently unclear if there’s any widespread environmental impression.