JOHOR BARU: A simulation shows that the three missing crewmen from MT Pablo could have been swept into Indonesian waters, says Johor Maritime director First Admiral maritime Nurul Hizam Zakaria.
He said that the Johor Baru Maritime Rescue Sub Centre (MRSC) had informed the Putrajaya Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) to request assistance from Indonesia's National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas).
"The victims could have been swept away into Tanjung Pinang waters in Indonesia, based on a simulation from the Search and Rescue Optimal Planning System (Sarops)," he said in a statement here on Thursday (May 4).
Nurul Hizam added the search effort was also assisted by a marine police patrol boat and two patrol boats belonging to the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) with a search area covering 393 sq nautical miles.
He added that the MMEA special action team was able to lower a ladder to the Gabon-registered crude oil tanker from a helicopter for the Fire and Rescue Department hazardous materials (Hazmat) unit to search for victims in the vessel.
"We have lowered the ladder but the assessment still shows that the ship is not completely safe for the Hazmat team to enter.
"A Navy vessel, which is the on-scene coordinator and another vessel from the Marine Department, have been spraying water on the hull of MT Pablo and monitoring the situation," he said.
On Monday (May 1), the vessel, which was on its way from China to Singapore, caught fire some 60km northeast of Tanjung Sedili near Kota Tinggi.
The ship carried 28 crew members of various nationalities, including from India, Ukraine, Russia and Pakistan.
The three missing crewmen are Indian nationals Satyam Tripathi, 26, and Dinesh Kumar Chauhan, 34, and Ukrainian, Sabit Shenderovsky, 37.
