BATU PAHAT: A cargo ship ‘Malaysia Star’ caught fire about 9.1 nautical miles off Tanjung Laboh here yesterday, while its 19 crew members were rescued.
Batu Pahat zone Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) director Maritime Commander Mohammad Zaini Zainal said his team received a distress call regarding the incident from the Maritime Rescue Sub Centre (MRSC) at about 8.40 am.
He said following this, two MMEA patrol boats and a Maritime Police Force boat were deployed to the location of the incident for rescue operations and security control.
“The ship was reported to have been heading towards Kota Kinabalu, Sabah with the 19-man crew comprising one local and 18 Filipinos.
“However, all victims were reported to be safe without any injuries and were transferred to the MMEA patrol boats before being taken to the Batu Pahat Maritime Zone Jetty for further action,“ he said in a statement today.
Mohammad Zaini also said fire extinguishing efforts are ongoing as the fire broke out near the vessel’s fuel tank.
“At the moment, no oil spills have been reported and we are monitoring the situation.
“At the same time, we want to advise the maritime community to always be vigilant regarding safety and be prepared for any untoward incidents at sea to avoid loss of life and property,” he added.
Any information related to crime and emergencies at sea can be channelled through the Batu Pahat Maritime Zone Operations Centre at 07-4349343 and the 24-hour emergency line 999.
