One dead, two rescued after engine room explosion

GEORGETOWN (Bernama): An Indonesian fisherman was killed, while two of his compatriots were rescued after an engine room explosion occurred about 7 nautical miles from Barat Muka Head, near here on Sunday (March 24).

Firman Amirudin, 23, who suffered burns on several parts of the body, died at the scene, while Ibrahim Ismail, 59, and Sopian Mohamad, 42, were rescued by the Johor Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) KM Satria patrol vessel.

Penang MMEA director Maritime Captain Hamizan Harun said the patrol vessel was on its way to Pulau Langkawi, Kedah to participate in LIMA 2019, when the partially sunken fishing boat was spotted.

"KM Satria headed towards the boat and found three crew members on board the sinking vessel.

"One of them had died due to the explosion, and all the fishermen are from Acheh, Indonesia," he said here today.

Hamizan said the surviving crew members informed that the boat started to sink, as the explosion had caused the boat to leak.

He said the victims were then transferred to a Marine Police Force (PPM) boat and taken to the Batu Uban Jetty before they were rushed to the Penang Hospital for further examination, adding that the dead victim's body was also sent to the same hospital for post mortem.

Meanwhile, he said any emergency at sea could be reported to the 24-hour MERS emergency line at 999, or the Penang MMEA Operations Centre line at 04-2626146. - Bernama