LABUAN, July 27 (Bernama) -- The death toll in the tanker tragedy here has
risen to three after the bodies of two crew members of the MT Bunga Alpina were
found floating not far from the wrecked tanker today.
The tankr owned by the Malaysian International Shipping Corporation (MISC)
caught fire and exploded early yesterday morning.
Two more crew members are still reported missing.
Labuan police chief Saiman Kasran said the bodies were found at 12.50pm and
12.57pm and were sent to the Labuan Hospital mortuary for identification and
post-mortem.
"The two victims are believed to be crew members of the Bunga Alpinia," he
told Bernama.
In the 2.30am incident yesterday, a fire broke out on the vessel followed by
several explosions which rocked Labuan. Initial reports stated one fatality
while four crew members were missing.
Prior to this, MISC had verified that Shahril Azmi Baharudin, 28, from
Melaka, who worked as a greaser on the vessel had died.
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MISC-BODY 2 LABUAN
The media reported the four missing crew members were Muhammad Nazrin
Khamasani, 20, from Kuala Lumpur; Mohd Hanafi Khalil, 24, from Melaka; Zahari
Hassim, 46, from Negeri Sembilan; and Filipino Colanggoy Errol Calaluan, 22.
Commenting on the recovered bodies, Saiman said the first victim was found
by divers from the Labuan Fire and Rescue Department about 50 metres from the
Bunga Alpinia while the second was found by a team from the Malaysian Maritime
Enforcement Agency near an industrial jetty not more than 100m from the vessel.
"Efforts are continuing to find the two remaining victims," he said.
Following the development, MISC in a statement confirmed that two of the
tanker''s crew members were still missing.
Meanwhile, Labuan Fire and Rescue Department director Zainal Madasin told
Bernama that his team would enter the vessel should their search efforts at sea
be fruitless.
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MISC-BODY 3 (LAST) LABUAN
"Efforts to extinguish the fire are ongoing to ensure there are no remaining
flames which can cause further explosions," said Zainal.
The tanker caught fire and exploded at the Petronas Chemicals Methanol Sdn
Bhd terminal jetty nearby the Pulau Enoe industrial zone in Labuan.
There is speculation that the fire was caused by lightning, but Petronas
Chemicals Group Bhd chief executive officer, Dr Abd Hapiz Abdullah said thorough
investigations are being carried out to ascertain the actual cause.
-- BERNAMA
JH MAM IZ HA