MMEA leading SAR operation
PUTRAJAYA: The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) is leading the searchand-rescue (SAR) operation for 10 missing crewmen of the United States Navy guided-missile destroyer USS John S. McCain, which collided with a merchant vessel in east Johor waters.
MMEA director-general Admiral Datuk Zulkifili Abu Bakar said the agency was informed of the incident by the Royal Malaysian Navy ship KD Handalan.
“We received information on a collision between the US destroyer and an oil tanker, MV Alnic MC, which took place 4.5 nautical miles from Teluk Ramunia, Tompok Utara. The incident occurred at 5.24am in Malaysian waters.
“The SAR mission was launched at 8.45am in collaboration with RMN and marine police.
“Three ships, five boats and a helicopter have been deployed,” he said at MMEA headquarters here yesterday.
Zulkifili said the SAR operation had been divided into sectors, covering 100 nautical miles from the coast.
He said no oil spill was found at the scene.
Five injured crewmen from the destroyer received treatment at Singapore General Hospital and were in stable condition.
Zulkifili said both vessels were coming from South China Sea and about to enter a traffic separation scheme.
“The sea route where the collision happened is a busy area, with no less than 80,000 vessels plying through the area yearly.”
He said the collision happened in Malaysian, and not Singaporean, waters.
“That’s why we are sending our assets. We are conducting a separate SAR operation from Singapore.
“We have yet to establish communications with Singapore, but we should not argue where the incident took place, but focus on the SAR operation.
“The assets on the ground are, however, communicating with each other to avoid collision.”
After the collision, USS John S. McCain sailed under its own power to Changi Naval Base, while the Liberian-flagged Alnic MC will also be repaired in Singapore.
It is the second accident involving a US Navy destroyer in Asian waters in two months.
The first involved a collision between the USS Fitzgerald and a container ship in Japanese waters near the port city of Yokosuka, which killed seven US sailors.