One Vietnamese seaman died and three others were hospitalized after inhaling toxic fumes aboard the general cargo ship Vimaru Pearl, according to local media .
The injured seafarers were reportedly taken to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital on February 13 after their vessel arrived at Kota Kimbalu Port, Sabah, Malaysia.
At the time of the incident, which occurred due to a gas leak in the ship’s rice storage room, a total of 21 seafarers were aboard the 8,900 dwt vessel.
The Vietnamese-flagged cargo ship was en route from Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam to Tabaco, Philippines, where it was scheduled to arrive in the morning hours of February 14.
Malaysian authorities send a hazardous material team to monitor the situation and secure the source of the gas leak.
World Maritime News contacted relevant authorities for details on the incident.
World Maritime News Staff