Borneo Post Online, 27 November 2012
A FULL report on the fire aboard the Malaysia International Shipping Corporation (MISC) Berhad tanker MT Bunga Alpinia in Labuan, Sabah in July, is expected to be ready by February next year.
Deputy Transport Minister Jelaing Mersat said investigation which began soon after the fire used external expertise to determine whether there was technical error or equipment failure during unloading of oil onto the tanker.
“The investigation is still ongoing. It is believed there was a leak and at the time of the incident, the weather was bad,” he said in response to a supplementary question from Mohamed Azmin Ali (PKR-Gombak) in Dewan Rakyat here yesterday.
Azmin would like to know the exact cause of the tanker explosion at Petronas Methanol Terminal jetty on July 26 killing five people.
Jelaing said the fire killed five crew of the oil tanker comprising four Malaysians and a Filipino.
The ministry would also seek assistance from the Department of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH) to conduct a comprehensive investigation.
MISC has warned shipowners carrying methanol to follow standard operating procedures (SOPs) to avoid a repeat of the incident.
Total losses incurred in the fire has yet to be known and claims for damages will be resolved between the tanker owner and the insurer. — Bernama
