One crew member was killed and five personnel sustained injuries when an explosion occurred aboard their tanker vessel Heung-A Pioneer off the coast of Tanjung Dawai, Malaysia around 10 pm local time on April 18, according to local media.
The explosion was preceded by a fire, which broke out in the middle of the ship’s deck.
At the time of the incident the 2008- built vessel, which was crewed by Myanmar and Korean nationals, was sailing some 30km off Sungai Petani.
Penang Port received the ship’s mayday call and informed the relevant authorities, including the fire and rescue department and the police station, of the incident.
Once the vessel arrived at the port, the injured personnel were hospitalized for treatment.
The cause of the explosion aboard the tanker, owned by South Korean shipping company Heung-A Shipping, has not yet been confirmed.
World Maritime News has contacted Penang Port officials for a statement on the matter, however, the port has still not replied.
World Maritime News Staff