MMEA acting director-general Saiful Lizan Ibrahim said a forward operating base has been set up at the Tanjung Sedili jetty to coordinate search efforts for the crew of the two tankers.

In a statement, he also said that several naval assets, including the Niah maritime ship, the Perkasa 29, Petir 12 as well as KD Gempita, have been deployed to carry out the operation.

“The department of environment has also been notified of the incident for further action in case of an oil spill,” he said.

Saiful said the MMEA has also instructed officers and personnel stationed at the Abu Bakar maritime base to conduct surveillance in the surrounding areas.

Earlier, Bernama quoted Singapore’s maritime and port authority as saying the Hafnia Nile, a Singapore-flagged tanker, and the Ceres 1, a Sao Tome and Príncipe-flagged tanker, caught fire following the collision.

The authority said the republic’s navy ship, the RSS Supreme, was providing assistance.

A helicopter from the Singapore air force was also dispatched to assist with evacuating the crew.