CRUDE OIL TANKER PABLO CATCHES FIRE OFF THE COAST OF JOHOR

Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) reported that it received a distress call for the Aframax tanker Pablo on May 1st at 16:00 and sent rescue boats to the scene. The fire broke as the tanker was sailing in the South China Sea at 37.5 nautical miles northeast of Tanjung Sedili, off the southeastern coast of Malaysia.
Another tanker, Enola went to the assistance of the burning ship and was able to rescue 18 crewmembers. The MMEA is reporting that its rescue vessel Petir 12 pulled two crewmembers from the water and a third crewmember was rescued by another vessel. MMEA later reported that 25 crew members were rescued and 3 went missing.
The Pablo tanker departed from Zhoushan in China on 18 April and was bound for UAE. The 232 meters long vessel was built in 1997 and is sailing under the flag of the Republic of Gabon.
(Source: TradeWinds/Channel News Asia/Dunya News/The Star/Malay Mail – Image: burning Pablo tanker/MMEA)