Oil tanker sinks off Johor, six crew members missing

The Star 15 Jun 17;



PETALING JAYA: An oil tanker sank in Johor waters after an explosion on board and six of its Indonesian crew members are missing.

The Enforcement Agency (MMEA) said it received information on the incident from the Singapore Police Coast Guard (SPCG) at about 5am on Thursday that the MT Putri Sea could not be contacted by the tanker's agent.

It said the incident could have happened 4.6 nautical miles south-west of Tanjung Pengelih in Johor.

MMEA deputy director-general (logistics) Maritime Rear Admiral Datuk Mohd Taha Ibrahim said the agency sent a patrol vessel from Tanjung Sedili to investigate.

He added that the Penggalang 15 reached the area at 6.15am and found the tanker not in sight, but there were traces of an oil spill in the area.

A search and rescue operation involving four boats was activated at 12.30pm Thursday, Admiral Mohd Taha said.

The missing crew members have been identified as Akhmad Faharuddin, 35, Muhamad Heri Hernanda, 28, Raden Abdur Rahem, 31, Rendy Alamanda, 28, Sulkifli, 39, and Yohanis Sumari, 35.

The tanker, registered in Equatorial Guinea, is believed to have been carrying crude oil.




Oil tanker believed to have sunk
The Star 16 Jun 17;

PETALING JAYA: An oil tanker is believed to have sunk after it caught fire off Tanjung Pengelih in Johor, with six of its crewmen missing.

“MT Putri Sea is believed to have been carrying crude oil. It is registered at Malabo Port, Equatorial Guinea,” said Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) deputy director-general of operations Rear Admiral Maritime Datuk Mohd Taha Ibrahim.

The vessel was carrying six crew members, all of them Indonesians, aged 28 to 39.

In a statement yesterday, he said MMEA found traces of oil spill around the area.

MMEA, he said, received information from the Singapore Police Coast Guard at about 5am yesterday that MT Putri Sea could not be reached by the vessel agent and that it could have caught fire and sunk about 4.6 nautical miles south-west of Tanjung Pengelih.

A search and rescue mission had been activated, he said.

Vessel sinks off Pengerang waters after explosion, 6 Indonesian crew members missing
New Straits Times 15 Jun 17;

JOHOR BARU: Six Indonesian crew members are missing when an Equatorial Guinea-registered tanker vessel sank 4.6 nautical miles from Pengerang, Johor at about 5am today due to explosion in its engine room.

Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) deputy director-general Rear Admiral Maritime Datuk Mohd Taha Ibrahim said the agency was alerted by the Singapore Police Coast Guard about the vessel, MT Putri Sea, catching fire after an explosion.

The vessel was sailing on the waters of Tanjung Pengelih, Pengerang at the time.

"The tanker ship registered in Malabo Port, Equatorial Guinea was carrying fuel and was believed to have sunk 4.6 nautical miles off Pengerang waters after an explosion where fire engulfed the vessel's main engine room," he said.

"A patrol boat from Tanjung Sedili D7 Maritime District was deployed immediately but when they arrived at the location they could not find the ship identified as MT Putri Sea," he said.

Taha said they believed the ship had sunk based on the trail of fuel on the ocean surface.

He said the six crew members on board were all Indonesians aged between 28 and 39 years, and all are still missing.

"A search and rescue operation has been activated to locate the missing ship crew members," he said.


Oil tanker sinks off East Johor Straits near Pulau Tekong, 6 Indonesian crew members missing
Today Online 15 Jun 17;

JOHOR BARU — Six Indonesian crew members are missing when an Equatorial Guinea-registered tanker vessel sank 4.6 nautical miles from Pengerang, Johor at about 5am Thursday (June 15) due to an explosion in its engine room.

Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) deputy director-general Rear Admiral Maritime Mohd Taha Ibrahim said the agency was alerted by the Singapore Police Coast Guard about the vessel, MT Putri Sea, catching fire after an explosion.

The vessel was sailing in the waters of Tanjung Pengelih, Pengerang at the time, which is off the East Johor Straits near Pulau Tekong.

"The tanker ship registered in Malabo Port, Equatorial Guinea was carrying fuel and was believed to have sunk 4.6 nautical miles off Pengerang waters after an explosion where fire engulfed the vessel's main engine room," he said.

"A patrol boat from Tanjung Sedili D7 Maritime District was deployed immediately but when they arrived at the location they could not find the ship identified as MT Putri Sea," he said.

Mr Taha said they believed the ship had sunk based on the trail of fuel on the ocean surface.

He said the six crew members on board were all Indonesians aged between 28 and 39 years, and all are still missing.

"A search and rescue operation has been activated to locate the missing ship crew members," he said. NEW STRAITS TIMES


Search continues for crew members of sunken oil tanker
KATHLEEN ANN KILI The Star 16 Jun 17;

KOTA TINGGI: The search and rescue operations are ongoing for six missing Indonesian crew members of an oil tanker which sank after an explosion on board.

The MT Putri Sea is believed to have sunk off Tanjung Pengelih here on Thursday.

Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) Southern Region operations deputy director Maritime Capt Sanifah Yusof said Friday that some 50 officers from the agency, the navy and marine police on seven boats are involved in the search.

The vessel, carrying crude oil, had reportedly lost contact with its agent in Singapore at about 4.6 nautical miles south-west of Tanjung Pengelih at around 5am on Thursday.

The Singapore Police Coast Guard alerted MMEA on the incident.

Capt Sanifah said the operations on Friday covered some 35 nautical miles from the waters off Tanjung Setapa to Teluk Ramunia.

“The operations include containing and cleaning-up of the oil spill, as well as setting up signages and buoys at the location where the MT Putri Sea is said to have sunk.

“The cause of the incident is still under investigation.

"The Marine Department will be issuing a notice to trace the owner of the vessel,” he added.

The 46.3m-long MT Putri Sea, which carried the call sign 3CZU, was registered in Equatorial Guinea.

The missing crew members were identified as Akhmad Faharuddin, 35, Muhamad Heri Hernanda, 28, Raden Abdur Rahem, 31, Rendy Alamanda, 28, Sulkifli, 39, and Yohanis Sumari, 35.


SAR continues for missing crew members, MT Putri Sea vessel after explosion
Rizalman Hammim New Straits Times 16 Jun 17;

JOHOR BARU: The search and rescue operation for the missing MT Putri Sea vessel and its crew members continued today with efforts being concentrated over a 35 square nautical miles area between waters off Tanjung Stapa and Teluk Ramunia.

Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) Southern Region deputy director of operations Captain (Maritime) Sanifah Yusof said the operation involved assets and personnel from various agencies including MMEA, the Royal Malaysian Navy, marine police, the Marine Department and Johor Port.

"A total of seven assets and 50 personnel are involved in the operation," said Sanifah in a statement.

He said today's operation also includes measures to contain an oil spill and to place isolated danger buoy at locations where the vessel is believed to have sank.

"The cause of the incident is still being investigated and the Marine Department have issued a notice to identify the owner of the vessel," said Sanifah.

Yesterday, it was reported that the Equatorial Guinea-registered tanker had sank 4.6 nautical miles off Pengerang waters after an explosion where fire engulfed the vessel’s main engine room.

MMEA had said that they believed the ship had sunk based on a trail of fuel on the ocean’s surface.

There are six Indonesian crew members on board.

Ship Carrying Indonesian Crew Members Sinks off Johor Coast
Tempo 16 Jun 17;

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - A cargo ship carrying 15 Indonesian crew members sink off Johor Bahru west coast in Malaysia.

“The incident took place on June 14. Fourteen were unharmed and one was treated at Melaka Hospital and one died. The process to send them back will be carried out by the Transportation Attache of Indonesian Embassy in Kuala Lumpur,” Indonesian Consul-General in Johor Bahru Haris Nugroho said today, June 16.

Aside from the incident, reports also said that a trade ship carrying six Indonesians caught fire on June 15.

“On June 15, we were informed by SPCG [Singapore Police Coast Guard] that a trade ship MT PUTRI SEA carrying six Indonesian crew members caught fire… southeast of Tanjung Pengelih [Malaysia].”

All crew members reportedly managed to leave the ship.

“A motorboat from DM 7 Tanjung Sedili has been tasked with investigating the incident. But upon arrival at the scene, it did not see the ship being reported. A monitoring and search were subsequently conducted,” he said.

Hari said that oil spill allegedly from the burned ship was found. He suspected that the ship sunk in the incident.

“The next step is to await Jabatan Laut [Malaysian Marine Department] to place buoys at the scene and carry out oil spill security measures. SAR team is searching six missing crew members,” Haris Nugroho said.

ANTARA

Sunken oil tanker MT Putri Sea found
M. KUMAR The Star 18 Jun 17;

PETALING JAYA: The Royal Malaysian Navy has found the wreck of the MT Putri Sea, which is believed to have sunk off Tanjung Pengelih following an explosion.

RMN chief Admiral Tan Sri Ahmad Kamarulzaman Ahmad Badaruddin said on Twitter that the navy hydrography vessel KD Perantau had detected an underwater object, which is believed to be the missing MT Putri Sea.

"Bravo to KD Perantau for successfully detecting MT Putri Sea using multi-beam sonar," he tweeted on Sunday.

The oil container MT Putri Sea lost contact with its agent in Singapore approximately 4.6 nautical miles south-west of Tanjung Pengelih at around 5am on Thursday.

It was reported that the ship, which was carrying crude oil, may have sunk soon after an explosion on board.

Six crew members were reported missing.

The 46.3m-long MT Putri Sea was registered in Equatorial Guinea.

The missing crew members were identified as Akhmad Faharuddin, 35, Muhamad Heri Hernanda, 28, Raden Abdur Rahem, 31, Rendy Alamanda, 28, Sulkifli, 39, and Yohanis Sumari, 35