Three people were killed while three others suffered injuries after a fire broke out on board a commercial vessel at the Port of Tanjung Pelepas in Johor state in Malaysia on Friday, November 7.
The Malta-registered, Maersk-chartered container vessel Kyparissia was berthed and unloading cargo at the port's quay 118 when a blaze ignited in one of her holds at around 12:23 local time on Friday.
Local firefighters and two tugs were deployed to the area shortly afterwards to render assistance. Tragically, three of the ship's crew had already perished before they could be transported to hospital.
A spokesperson for Maersk said that the fire was caused by an explosion in the affected hold, though the event that triggered the blast remains unknown.
The three deceased sailors include a Malaysian national, a Filipino national, and a British national, while the three injured individuals included one Malaysian and two Filipino nationals.
The Maersk spokesperson has assured that the company is continuing to work closely with the ship's owner, the manager, and Malaysian authorities and that it will provide updates upon the availability of additional information.