One Dead in Fire aboard Research Vessel MV Geos

One crew member lost his life in a fire which hit the offshore oil and gas research vessel MV Geos in the early morning hours of April 17 in the South China Sea.

The worker was reported missing following the incident, which occurred some 10 km off the coast of Baram.

The Malaysia Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) informed that his body was found inside the stricken vessel in the afternoon hours of April 18.

The ship’s remaining 38 crew members managed to abandon ship in time and were later taken to Miri, where two of them were transported to the Miri General Hospital to be treated for injuries.

The vessel, owned by Asian Geos Sdn Bhd, was conducting geo-technical survey for Malaysian oil and gas company Petroliam Nasional Berhad (PETRONAS).

PETRONAS yesterday said that the fire was extinguished and the vessel was being monitored.

Local media cited the company as saying that the cause of the incident was under investigation.