BUTTERWORTH: One Myanmar national died and his four countrymen were injured when fire broke out after an explosion on a Korean-registered ship off the coast of Penang last night.
The explosion is said to have been triggered by a gas canister.
A Penang Port Sdn Bhd (PPSB) spokesman confirmed the New Straits Times that the victim is a Myanmar national.
She said another Korean national was also injured in the 10pm incident.
In a press statement today, PPSB acting chief executive officer Rosihan Adi Baharuddin said the explosion happened on the ship "Heung-A Pioneer"about two hours away from the island off Tanjung Dawai.
"We received a distress call from the ship that an explosion had occurred and the crew needed medical assistance.
"Our unit alerted the Fire and Rescue Department, the Seberang Jaya Hospital as well as the Butterworth police station," he said.
Rosihan said the ship berthed at the Butterworth Wharves past midnight.
"The captain of the ship revealed that the fire started from the middle of the ship's deck which in turn caused the explosion.
"The paramedics went on board and confirmed one crew member died while the remaining five were injured," he said.
The cause of the fire remains unknown as of press time.
A Civil Defence Department spokesman, meanwhile, said they were alerted of the incident at 10.45pm by the Fire and Rescue Department.
However, the ship's management had asked the authorities to stand by at the port.
"The ship berthed after midnight and asked us to come onboard to render aid," said the spokesman.
The victim's family members are expected to claim his body from the mortuary today.