Three other crew members on the tanker which was headed for Turkey are reported to be in critical condition. They were all believed to have inhaled ammonia gas.

Selangor Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) deputy director (operations) Norihan Ngah, who confirmed the matter, said the agency was alerted of the incident by a shipping agent at about 11pm yesterday.

Members of the Selangor MMEA, together with the Hazardous Material Unit Team (Hazmat) of the Fire and Rescue Department, then went to the location where the tanker, MV Hamburg DW, had anchored, southwest of Pulau Selat Kering, near Port Klang, Selangor at about 3am today, to pick up the victims.

Besides the 62-year-old man who died on the tanker, three others – two Turks and an Indian national, all aged 28 to 50 – were believed to have also inhaled the gas and are in critical condition, he said.

The three victims were sent to the Tengku Ampuan Rahimah Hospital, Klang, for treatment upon arrival at the Pulau Indah MMEA jetty today.

The body was also sent to the same hospital for post-mortem.

He said the health ministry and the police had been notified of the incident.