THREE crew members reported missing after tanker MT Pablo registered in Gabon, Africa caught fire 37.5 nautical miles northeast of Tanjung Sedili in Kota Tinggi yesterday, are believed to be still alive.

Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) acting director-general Vice Admiral Saiful Lizan Ibrahim said the crew had been identified as Indian nationals Satyam Tripathi, 26, and Dinesh Kumar Chauhan, 34, while the third was Ukrainian Sabit Shenderovskyi, 37.

“There is a possibility they survived if they were able to escape from the fire in the middle of the ship. There may be an airtight room where the fire did not hit.

“However, the amount of oxygen supply depends on the size of the room. If the size is small they may last a day. If the room is large they may last a few days,” he said during a press conference at the Johor Maritime Headquarters today.

Also present was Johor MMEA director First Admiral Nurul Hizam Zakaria.

Saiful said there were a total of 28 crew members on board the ship that reportedly caught fire at about 3pm yesterday. Twenty-five of them were rescued while rescuers were still trying to find the remaining three.

He said the search and rescue involved various sea and air assets from several agencies including the navy, Johor Marine Department and Johor Port.

“In addition, we will also seek the services of the Fire and Rescue Department’s Hazmat team to enter the ship, which is still filled with smoke tomorrow in an effort to conduct a search on board, given that there is a possibility that the three may be still trapped inside,” he said.

Saiful said the cause of the fire is still being probed, but added that there was no oil spill at the scene because the tanker, which has valid travel documents, was not carrying any cargo.

Yesterday, Nurul Hizam said the tanker was reportedly on its way from China to Singapore. – Bernama, May 2, 2023.