Johor Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) director Nurul Hizam Zakaria said the search mission involved an AW139 helicopter along with two Malaysian Maritime patrol boats, two ships and a boat belonging to the navy, a marine police patrol boat and two ships of the marine department.

“The hazardous material (Hazmat) unit of the Malaysian fire and rescue department and members of the marine department have assessed the safety level of the MT Pablo using the AW139 aircraft and found that it was still unsafe to board,” he said in a statement, today.

The three crew involved were identified as Indian nationals Satyam Tripathi, 26, and Dinesh Kumar Chauhan, 34; and Ukrainian national, Sabit Shenderovskyi, 37.

The tanker registered in Gabon, Africa, caught fire about 37.5 nautical miles northeast of Tanjung Sedili, Kota Tinggi.