Five seamen hurt in navy boat fire
KOTA KINABALU: Five Royal Malaysian Navy personnel were injured when a fire broke out on their interceptor boat off Semporna on Friday.
A RMN spokesman said the sailors were rushed to hospital and are reported to be in stable condition.
He said the fire broke out on board the P38 interception boat at about 2.20pm, just as the crew was starting up the vessel’s engine.
The incident occurred just as the sailors were about to depart from the KD Sri Semporna naval base for the Tun Sharifah Rodziah sea base for a routine crew change.
Other sailors as well as Fire and Rescue Services Department personnel managed to put out the blaze in 10 minutes.
The official said initial investigations indicated the fire may have occurred due to a short circuit and a fuel leak in the vessel.
He said the RMN with the assistance of the Fire and Rescue Services Department would set up an investigation board to determine the cause of the fire.