Salvage operations are in progress after the Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) vessel KD Pendekar sank on August 25th after experiencing “severe flooding” due to a leak. The Royal Malaysian Navy confirmed that all 39 crew members were safely rescued before the ship was completely submerged, with no injuries reported.
The KD Pendekar sank two nautical miles southeast of Tanjung Penyusop, Johor at 3.54pm this afternoon, said the Navy.
“Efforts to salvage the ship are still underway,” it said in a statement.
The Navy also commended the quick action of the maritime community for the successful rescue of all 39 crew members before the ship was fully submerged.
“No injuries were reported. They are now safe and housed at KD Sultan Ismail, Tanjung Pengelih, Johor,” it said.
Earlier, the Navy said the leak, believed to have been caused by a collision with an underwater object, was first detected in the engine room. However, they are cautioning not to speculate at this point.
“Leaks that were beginning to be detected in the ship’s engine room have spread rapidly and get out of control,” reads the navy’s statement.
Despite the crew’s best efforts to control and stabilise the vessel, the situation rapidly deteriorated.
