Oil tanker catches fire off Malaysian coast, 3 crew members missing

Kuala Lumpur [Malaysia], May 2 (ANI): After an oil tanker registered in Gabon caught fire off the coast of southern Malaysia on Monday, three of its crew members were reported missing, CNN reported citing the statement of Malaysian maritime authorities.

The search for the missing members is underway by the authorities.
The tanker was reported to be on fire at about 4 p.m. local time on Monday, about 37.5 nautical miles northeast of Tanjung Sedili, a coastal community in the state of Johor, according to the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA).

Quoting MMEA, CNN reported the tanker, which had 28 crew members on board, caught fire while travelling from China to Singapore.

“A naval patrol boat was dispatched to the scene to rescue those on board,” MMEA added.

The oil tanker was recognised as the MT Pablo by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore.

Large black smoke plumes were seen rising into the air and the tanker was seen on video to be on fire. There were other ships nearby, too. If there has been a significant environmental impact, it is not yet evident, CNN reported.