Oil Tanker Collision Off Malaysia, 9 Missed

Wednesday, August 19, 2009 at 10:45 am

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian police say nine sailors are missing after their oil tanker collided with another vessel and caught fire in the Malacca Straits.

Local police chief Mazlan Othman says some 40 firefighters are trying to control the blaze on the Liberian-registered tanker, which collided with a bulk carrier on Tuesday.

Mazlan says 15 Chinese and one Taiwanese sailor were rescued, but eight Chinese and another Taiwanese remain missing Wednesday.

He says authorities are trying to contain the tanker’s oil spill. The Britain-registered carrier sustained minor damage in the collision, which is under investigation.

Mazlan says traffic in the strait, separating Indonesia from Malaysia, was not affected. Some 70,000 vessels use the waterway annually.