Death Toll In Tanker Tragedy Rises To Three As Two More Bodies Found

LABUAN, July 27 (Bernama) -- The death toll in the tanker tragedy here has risen to three after the bodies of two crew members of the MT Bunga Alpinia were found floating not far from the wrecked tanker Friday.

The tanker owned by the Malaysian International Shipping Corporation (MISC) caught fire and exploded Thursday morning.

Two more crew members are still reported missing.

Labuan police chief Saiman Kasran said the bodies were found at 12.50pm and 12.57pm and were sent to the Labuan Hospital mortuary for identification and post-mortem.

"The two victims are believed to be crew members of the Bunga Alpinia," he told Bernama.

In the 2.30am incident Thursday, a fire broke out on the vessel followed by several explosions which rocked Labuan. Initial reports stated one fatality while four crew members were missing.

Prior to this, MISC had verified that Shahril Azmi Baharudin, 28, from Melaka, who worked as a greaser on the vessel had died.

The media reported the four missing crew members were Muhammad Nazrin Khamasani, 20, from Kuala Lumpur; Mohd Hanafi Khalil, 24, from Melaka; Zahari Hassim, 46, from Negeri Sembilan; and Filipino Colanggoy Errol Calaluan, 22.

Commenting on the recovered bodies, Saiman said the first victim was found by divers from the Labuan Fire and Rescue Department about 50 metres from the Bunga Alpinia while the second was found by a team from the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency near an industrial jetty not more than 100m from the vessel.

"Efforts are continuing to find the two remaining victims," he said.

Following the development, MISC in a statement confirmed that two of the tanker's crew members were still missing.

Meanwhile, Labuan Fire and Rescue Department director Zainal Madasin told Bernama that his team would enter the vessel should their search efforts at sea be fruitless.

"Efforts to extinguish the fire are ongoing to ensure there are no remaining flames which can cause further explosions," said Zainal.

The tanker caught fire and exploded at the Petronas Chemicals Methanol Sdn Bhd terminal jetty nearby the Pulau Enoe industrial zone in Labuan.

There is speculation that the fire was caused by lightning, but Petronas Chemicals Group Bhd chief executive officer, Dr Abd Hapiz Abdullah said thorough investigations are being carried out to ascertain the actual cause.