Man escapes boat fire off Labuan

Abang being taken for treatment after he got burnt following an engine fire in Labuan on Sunday.

KOTA KINABALU: A fisherman escaped death when his boat caught fire early Sunday (Dec 10).

The 37-year-old victim Abang Jaffaruddin Mohamad was preparing for work at sea and had gone to start the boat engine when it suddenly caught fire.

He suffered some burns on his body following the 7.30am incident at the Papan Island off Labuan.

It is believed that the engine was leaking oil and that a short circuit had occurred when Abang started the engine.

Malaysia Maritime Enforcement Agency operations deputy director for Labuan, Commander Nor Bakari Abu Bakar said they sent a team to rescue the man following a distress call at about 7.40am.

“Our team brought the victim to the Labuan Maritime jetty where he was taken to hospital in a waiting ambulance,” Nor Bakari said in a statement.

The man received outpatient treatment at the Labuan Hospital and is reported to be in stable condition.