Malaysian news outlet Bernama reports that a fishing vessel caught fire while off the coast of Perak state in western Malaysia on Sunday, September 7.
The vessel, which local reports have identified as a wooden-hulled trawler, was operating in the waters off the town of Pantai Remis when a blaze ignited on board in the late evening (local time) of Sunday.
The Fire and Rescue Department of Malaysia (Jabatan Bomba dan Penyelamat Malaysia; JBPM) deployed personnel to the area to render assistance immediately after receiving an emergency call at around 23:06.
All 25 of the trawler's crew jumped into the water to escape the flames and were eventually rescued by emergency response personnel and the crews of some Good Samaritan boats. No serious injuries have been reported.
The JBPM had consulted with the trawler's owner and discovered that it still contained around 10,000 litres of diesel in its fuel tanks. Officials then decided to have the burning vessel towed further offshore to minimise the risk of damage and injury while the firefighting effort was still ongoing.
The fire was fully extinguished by 03:00 on Monday, September 8. However, Shazlean Mohd Hanafia, JBPM Perak Acting Assistant Director of Operations, said in a statement that the vessel's hull was "80 per cent destroyed."
The owner said that the incident resulted in losses in excess of MYR1 million (US$240,000). The total amount included the estimated value of the vessel and that of the fishing equipment on board.
