Explosion on vessel kills two workers

BINTULU: An explosion on a vessel near an oil platform in Samalaju,  Bintulu killed two ship workers while another was severely injured on the face.

Bintulu police chief Supt Nixon Joshua Ali who confirmed the incident said; “At approximately 10:40pm Friday, while the 16 crew members of the Icon Offshore company were on board the supply ship Amara, they were startled by a loud explosion from below.

“All the crew went below deck and found the engine room filled with smoke, with the main engine room door blown off due to the explosion. Rescue efforts were conducted, with one victim severely burned on the face.”

Meanwhile, according to reports by the Sarawak Fire and Rescue Department, upon arrival at the scene, firefighters found all three victims unconscious.

“We received a call from the Ministry of Health (MoH) requesting assistance in treating the victims.

“The explosion occurred on the ship, and our role was to assist the KKM in managing the injuries,” it said in a statement.

The injured victim was rushed to hospital for further treatment.

The deceased have been identified as Muhamad Firdaus, 36 from Perak and George, 24 from Sibu, while the injured person is Ahmad Zahid.

Police have classified the case as sudden death, with no criminal elements detected.