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An 18-member crew of
foreigners aboard a sinking China-bound merchant ship were finally
rescued after being stranded for over five hours in the open
waters off Pulau Perak here.
The ship, Hodasco 15, started to sink about 10 nautical miles west
of the island from 10pm on Sunday after registering a severe leak
in its engines.
Maritime 3 district logistics director Lt-Kdr Nurul Hizam Zakaria
said Monday that the 6,045-tonne Hodasco 15, which was registered
in Mongolia, was carrying iron ore from Calcutta, India, and was
en route to China.
"They were stranded for five hours aboard their sinking ship
before another vessel happened to pass them by," he told reporters
at the Malaysia Fisheries Development Board jetty in Kampung Acheh
Monday.
Lt-Kdr Nurul Hizam said the second ship, MV Boron, which was on
its journey to Syria from India, successfully rescued all 18 crew
members aboard the Hodasco 15 before the entire ship sank.
The crew members, comprising three Myanmar nationals and 15
Vietnamese, including the ship's captain Le Hoang Quan, were then
brought to Pangkor Island.
"Upon reaching Pangkor Island, MV Boron sent out distress signals
to the Malaysia Rescue Coordinating Centre (MRCC) in Putrajaya,"
he said.
The MRCC later dispatched a team of nine maritime officers and
three boats from the Malaysia Maritime Enforcement Agency to
Pangkor Island Monday to bring the crew members back to the
Kampung Acheh jetty.
"We will help them contact their respective embassies in Kuala
Lumpur so that arrangements can be made for their return home," he
said, adding that none of the crew members were hurt in the
incident. |
