The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) received a report of a tanker on fire about 4 p.m. local time Monday, off the coastal town of Tanjung Sedili in the state of Johor.
Singaporean authorities identified the ship as the MT Pablo. According to MMEA, the tanker was going from China to Singapore with 28 crew members when it caught fire. A naval patrol boat was rushed to the scene to rescue people on board. Three crewmates remain missing, while 23 were rescued by two ships in the vicinity.
According to local news, ongoing operations will include investigations to determine whether the missing abandoned the tanker and jumped into the sea, or whether they were trapped. The environmental impact of the fire is still unknown.
