CHUKAI: No victims or hazardous chemicals were found on board a so-called ‘ghost ship’ that drifted into the Semangkok A oil rig area, off Terengganu, on Tuesday.
Kemaman Maritime Zone director Commander Abdul Halim Hamzah said a joint inspection was carried out at 3.30pm by 17 members of the Fire and Rescue Department’s Hazardous Materials (Hazmat) Special Team and three officers from the Marine Department.
“During the initial inspection, the team detected an odour which was later confirmed to be from spoiled raw material in a refrigerator.
“They used two high-tech detection devices — a four-gas meter and a gas meter — and after an hour-long search of the three-deck vessel, no victims or hazardous chemicals were found,” he said yesterday.
The ship, measuring 53.7m long and 10m wide, will be handed over to the Marine Department for further action.
Authorities will also ensure the vessel is not trespassed by any party, he added.
The vessel was first spotted drifting near the Semangkok A oil rig on Tuesday before it was towed over two days for about 140 nautical miles to Kemaman Supply Base (KSB) on Thursday morning.
The ‘ghost ship’ is believed to be linked to the tanker fire incident that occurred 36 nautical miles off Tanjung Sedili Kecil, Johor, on Aug 6.
In that incident, an Indonesian crew member was killed while four others were injured.
© New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd
