On the late night on September 7, a deep-sea wooden fishing vessel (name not disclosed) caught fire in the Malacca Strait off Pantai Remis, Malaysia. Reports state the vessel sent out a distress call immediately after discovering the fire. The fire quickly spread and engulfed the vessel forcing all 25 crew to abandon ship and jump into sea.
Nearby fishing vessels along with the the local fire brigade vessel heard the distress call and were headed to the scene. Fortunately, all 25 crew were pulled from the water and were found in good shape. There were no reports of injuries.
Fire fighters attempted the douse the fire. It would take nearly 2 hours before the fire was under control and eventually extinguished, but nearly 80 percent of the hull had been gutted by the flames. Reports state that all hull and all fishing equipment was a total loss. Authorities state that this class of fishing vessel typically is uninsured. Estimates place the loss exceeding RM1 million.
