IPOH: Twenty-five crew members were successfully rescued after their boat caught fire approximately 3.5 nautical miles from the Alep Platform off Pantai Remis last night.
The Malaysian Fire and Rescue Department’s Perak Acting Assistant Director (Operations) Shazlean Mohd Hanafiah confirmed the department received an emergency call at 11.06 pm.
A response team from the Pantai Remis Fire and Rescue Station was immediately dispatched to the incident location.
The fire involved a Class C trawler that was approximately 80% destroyed by the blaze near the platform.
All crew members managed to escape by jumping into the sea before being rescued by a nearby fishing boat.
The rescued individuals were subsequently brought to the safety of the Alep Platform for assessment.
Following discussions with the vessel’s owner, it was revealed the boat was scheduled for scrapping.
The trawler was being towed further out to sea with assistance from another fishing boat when the incident occurred.
The vessel was equipped with a diesel tank capacity of 10,000 litres, presenting additional fire risks.
At the owner’s request, firefighting operations proceeded as the wreckage remained necessary for documentation.
Operations commander directed personnel to extinguish the fire using two 200-foot hose lines and specialized equipment.
Firefighters utilized two open water jets and a portable pump until the fire was completely extinguished. – Bernama
