KUALA TERENGGANU: The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) is mobilising its aircraft to search for three victims who are still missing in an incident involving a fishing boat and a barge in Kemaman waters, this morning.
Kemaman Maritime Zone director, Maritime Commander Ariffin Ghazali said MMEA had activated the Search and Rescue Operation (Carilamat) at 8.40 this morning with the Carilamat forward base having been opened at Haji Pa Jetty in Kemaman.
“Fast interceptor craft, Penggalang 17 has been assigned to the scene of the incident while Maritime Malaysia’s aircraft is being arranged to conduct an aerial search around the incident area.
“Carilamat’s efforts were also joined by the Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) and the Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM).The Kemaman Area Fishermen’s Association is also helping efforts to find victims,“ ??he said in a statement today.
Earlier, Kemaman district police chief Supt Hanyan Ramlan when contacted said a woman drowned, while three individuals, two men and a woman, were reported to be still missing in an incident where a fishing boat and a barge collided seven nautical miles or 13 kilometres from the waters of Kuala Kemaman at 6.30 this morning. .
He said that in addition, three men and two women survived the incident and all the victims who boarded the fishing boat were between 23 and 79 years old.
Hanyan said his party was still tracking the barge involved in the collision.
