1 dead after ship hits oil platform off Malaysia's Sarawak state

Source: Xinhua| 2020-10-27 12:40:00|Editor: huaxia

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct. 27 (Xinhua) -- A Malaysian ship with over 100 crew suffered an emergency in bad weather off the country's northern Borneo state of Sarawak, leaving one dead, the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA), the country's coast guard, said on Tuesday.

The ship, Dayang Topaz, is believed to have hit an oil platform after one of its anchors broke during bad weather some 7.7 nautical miles from shore early Tuesday, MMEA director-general Mohd Zubil Mat Som said in a statement.

"The sea conditions are bad with waves as high as 3.5 to 4 meters," he said, adding that three coastguard vessels are in the area to conduct the search and rescue.

A total 125 crew fell into the sea, 124 of whom were rescued but one died.

MMEA also said efforts are underway to save crew are still aboard the vessel, with help from the Malaysian airforce, and assistance from Brunei and oil companies operating in the area. Enditem

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