PETALNG JAYA: According to Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad, a cargo ship has become stranded in the East Coast and is at risk of causing an oil spill.
The vessel had been carrying 18 tonnes of diesel when its mooring rope broke in bad weather, causing it to drift away from the Kemaman port in Terengganu, he said.
On Jan 30, the Sierra Leone-registered ship was discovered stranded 15m away from the Chendor beach in Kuantan, devoid of any cargo except the fuel, and its three crew members had jumped into the sea to save themselves.
Following the discovery, the Environment Department dispatched investigative teams to locate the ship and conduct assessments on land and in the air using drones.
“The East Region Maritime Office was contacted to implement control measures against oil leaks or spills,” said Nik Nazmi in a press statement on Saturday (Feb 3).
He mentioned that continuous monitoring has indicated no pollution resulting from the incident up to the date of the press statement.
Efforts have been made to have the ship towed back to the Kemaman port, and a boom would be installed as a control measure in case of an oil spill, he added.
In a separate incident, Nik Nazmi stated that a stop-work order had been issued to a mining site in Bukit Perangin in Kedah following the death of a foreign worker in an accident on Thursday (Feb 1).
He also reported that a directive was given to prohibit all access to the incident area until the investigation is completed.
“The reports have indicated that the mining area is unstable and at risk of collapsing. Additionally, on-site inspections have revealed a lack of safety or warning signs near where the incident occurred,” he said.
