A cargo ship carrying clay began sinking off Marang; MMEA safely evacuated all 15 crew members, including 13 Vietnamese nationals
CHUKAI: The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) rescued 15 crew members from a leaking cargo ship early this morning.
The vessel was sailing from Lumut, Perak, to Vietnam when it suffered a serious leak approximately 59 nautical miles northeast of Merchang in Marang.
Kemaman Maritime Zone director Maritime Commander Abdul Halim Hamzah said the incident was reported around 1 am.
The Maritime Rescue Sub Centre (MRSC) Kuantan activated emergency procedures and instructed the ship to move closer to shore.
Malaysian Maritime patrol vessel KM Sebatik was dispatched to the location.
It safely transferred all 15 crew members about five nautical miles east of Kampung Jambu Bongkok, Marang.
The rescued crew comprised 13 Vietnamese nationals and one each from India and Bangladesh.
Their ages ranged from 21 to 54 years old.
All personnel were brought to the Kemaman Maritime Zone jetty at 6.05 pm.
They underwent health checks before being handed over to their agents. – Bernama
