'Ghost ship' spotted in Terengganu waters linked to Johor tanker blaze
The unmanned vessel, first spotted near the Semangkok A oil rig in Terengganu on Aug 12, is now being towed to the Kemaman Supply Base (KSB) in Terengganu for salvage.
Pahang MMEA director First Admiral Mazlan Mat Rejab said the Kuantan Maritime Rescue Sub Centre was alerted by its Johor counterparts about the abandoned vessel, located about four nautical miles from the oil rig, at 4.45pm on Aug 12.
"The unmanned vessel had entered the oil rig's waters and risked colliding with other offshore platforms nearby. Our Special Task and Rescue (Star) team managed to board the tanker at about 6.58pm yesterday and secure it with a towline to another vessel.
"The tanker is expected to berth at KSB tomorrow (Aug 15), after which a detailed inspection will be carried out to confirm its identity and determine if there are any victims on board," he said in a statement today.
Mazlan said the salvage operation will continue until the vessel is safely handed over to the Marine Department.
He said the agency suspects the vessel is linked to the Aug 7 incident in which an oil tanker caught fire off Tanjung Sedili, killing a 42-year-old Indonesian crew member and injuring four others.
During the integrated operation, MMEA's Dauphin AS365 N3 helicopter carrying the agency's Star team was joined by personnel from the Marine Department and Petronas Carigali Sdn Bhd.
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