Kuala Lumpur : In a concerning maritime incident, the crew of a Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) ship was evacuated after the vessel partially sank following a collision with an underwater object off the coast of Johor state. The RMN confirmed on Sunday that all 39 crew members had been safely recovered, and efforts to salvage the ship are currently underway.
The incident occurred around noon, two nautical miles southeast of Tanjung Penyusop, as the ship was conducting an operation in the area. According to the RMN’s statement, the crew first detected a leak at 12 p.m., which was believed to have been caused by the vessel colliding with an underwater object. The leak initially appeared in the ship’s engine room but quickly spread beyond control.
Despite attempts to manage the situation and stabilise the vessel, the crew was eventually forced to abandon ship when efforts proved unsuccessful. The RMN reported that the ship partially sank due to the severity of the flooding, and a rescue operation was promptly launched.
“Efforts to control the situation and stabilise the vessel did not succeed. The crew was safely recovered after efforts to control the situation and stabilise the vessel did not succeed,” the RMN stated.
The Navy has assured the public that a special investigative board will be established immediately to determine the exact cause of the incident. They also cautioned against speculation, urging the public to rely on official RMN sources for accurate and up-to-date information.
Several agencies, including the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency, the police, and local maritime communities, responded to the incident, assisting in the rescue and ongoing salvage efforts.
The RMN has emphasised that the focus now is on safely salvaging the partially submerged ship and conducting a thorough investigation to prevent similar incidents in the future.
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