Three crew members missing after tanker catches fire off Malaysia
MT Pablo was on its way from China to Singapore with 28 crew members on board. (Screengrab: Reuters/MALAYSIA MARITIME ENFORCEMENT AGENCY)
KUALA LUMPUR: Three crew members of a Gabon-registered tanker were missing after the vessel caught fire on Monday (May 1) in waters off Malaysia's southern coast, Malaysian maritime authorities said.
The tanker was on its way from China to Singapore with 28 crew members on board, the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) said, adding that 23 were rescued by the MMEA and by nearby vessels.
The MMEA said it commenced search and rescue operations after receiving an alert at 4pm about a tanker on fire.
The cause of the incident was under investigation, the maritime agency said.
In a separate statement, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore identified the vessel as MT Pablo.
Pablo Union Shipping, the Marshall Islands-based owner of the vessel according to shipping databases, could not be located for comment. The vessel's insurers were unknown.
