Ghost Ship Passes Safety Check As No Hazardous Gas, Chemicals Or Bodies On Board

CHUKAI, Aug 15 (Bernama) -- The 'ghost ship’ appears to be risk-free as no hazardous chemicals or human remains were found in the abandoned hulk that drifted into the waters of Semangkok A oil platform in Terengganu, said Kemaman Maritime Zone director, Maritime Commander Abdul Halim Hamzah.

He said 17 members of the Malaysian Fire and Rescue Department's (JBPM) Hazardous Materials (Hazmat) Special Team and three officers from the Malaysian Marine Department (JLM) of Terengganu were involved in an hour-long inspection on three levels of the 53.7-metre (m)-long and 10m wide ship at the Kemaman Supply Base (KSB) today.

He said the fire department had used two types of high-tech equipment, Four-Gas Meter (FGM) and Gasmet (gas analyser), to detect the presence of any hazardous materials or gases in the ship.

"The Hazmat team used high-tech advanced equipment to detect any readings from hazardous chemicals or gases on all three levels of the ship.

"The area was found to be safe, with no signs or presence of human remains. Initially, there was an unpleasant odour, but upon inspection it was traced to raw materials in the refrigerator," he told a press conference at the Kemaman Maritime Zone here today.

In addition, the MMEA team would conduct regular patrols around the ship's area to prevent trespassing.

"The 293-tonne ship will be handed over to the JLM for further action," he said.

Earlier, the ghost ship was towed (some 140 nautical miles) to KSB here at about 11.30 am before the safety inspection by a JBPM-JLM team was conducted at 3.30 pm. According to MMEA, the ghost ship was first spotted on Aug 12.

According to media reports earlier, the Pahang MMEA said the ghost ship is believed to be an oil tanker which caught fire off Tanjung Sedili Kecil, off the Johor coast on Aug 7, where one crew member died, with four others injured.

-- BERNAMA