Indonesian SAR agency leading search for missing cargo ship

JOHOR BARU: Indonesia’s National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) is coordinating the search for a missing Malaysia-registered cargo ship.

Johor Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) director First Admiral Nurul Hizam Zakaria said the agency was notified of the matter at around 11pm on Tuesday (Jan 10).

“The Johor Baru Maritime Rescue Sub Centre (MRSC) received information from the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre Putrajaya that Basarnas will be coordinating the search.

“This is based on information that the ship could be in Indonesian waters. However, until now there is no word if the ship has been found," he said in a statement on Wednesday (Jan 11).

On Tuesday, it was reported that the cargo ship with five crewmen on board had been missing for over a week.

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The vessel, which was carrying metal pipes worth about RM726,000, left Kampung Acheh in Perak on Dec 23 and was supposed to reach Kuching, Sarawak, on Dec 31.

MMEA was notified on Monday (Jan 9) after the ship’s agent made a police report.

The last location of the ship was detected on Jan 1 in Indonesian waters and about 0.2 nautical miles from Johor waters.

Three Indonesians and two Malaysians, between the ages of 20 and 57, were on board the vessel.

At 10.42pm on Monday, the Malaysia Mission Control Centre and Singapore Police Operation Command Centre detected an emergency signal from the ship.

The SOS signal came from a location about 30 nautical miles north-west of Pemangkat, Indonesia and MMEA contacted Indonesian and Singaporean authorities to help with the search.