Iranian tug arrived due to sick crew, port official says



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An Iranian tugboat, the Fire Man, was reportedly docked at the Butterworth container terminal. (Photo by Bernama)

BUTTERWORTH: An Iranian tugboat, allegedly docked here illegally, had entered Penang waters due to a health emergency, a port official said.

A source from Penang Port Sdn Bhd said the Fire Man tugboat from Zanzibar had three crew on board. One of his crew was sent to Seberang Jaya Hospital.

The official said the tugboat ran into problems while sailing from the Philippines to Dubai. It ran out of fuel and was later towed by another ship, which also suffered some problems, and docked in Johor waters on December 11.

He said authorities were aware of the ship’s presence in Malaysian waters and were monitoring its movements, as well as providing assistance.

“The ship then docked at the North Butterworth Container Terminal due to an emergency when one of the crew became ill.

“The three crew members in their 30s also said that they had run out of fuel and money, and that they had not contacted the ship’s company in Iran,” he said tonight.

Earlier today, Bukit Mertajam MP Steven Sim had questioned the actions of port authorities and the state government after the ship was reported to have illegally docked at the container terminal.

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