The Banga 2 tanker ship. – Photo courtesy of MMEA
KUCHING (July 2): The Kuching Maritime Rescue Sub-Centre (MRSC) has activated a search and rescue (SAR) operation for a missing crew member of a tanker ship that was reported to have sunk in Samalaju waters about 40.2 nautical miles northwest of Bintulu.
Bintulu Maritime Zone director Captain Mohd Khairol Anuar Saad said the Kuching MRSC received a report at 10.53am today that the Banga 2 tanker ship, with four crew members onboard, had sunk in the waters of Samalaju.
He said three crew members were rescued by a boat that happened to be nearby while one Indian crew member, identified as Himanshu Kumar, went missing.
“According to the victims, their ship was hit by a storm while anchoring in the waters of Samalaju, at about 2am, causing it to sink.
“Three victims, two locals including the captain and one Indian national managed to get on the life raft but the other crew member drifted away from it,” he said in a statement here.
He said KM Setia which is currently in Bintulu waters has been mobilised in the SAR operation. – Bernama