ID :
371688
Fri, 06/19/2015 - 09:59
Auther :

MT Orkim Harmony: Three Aircraft Deployed To Track Hijackers

KUALA LUMPUR, June 19 (Bernama) -- A P3 Orion, C130 and a beechcraft aircraft are currently tracking the escaped hijackers of the MT Orkim Harmony vessel, said the Chief Of Navy Abdul Aziz Jaafar. He said the Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) has also tasked three ships and two helicopters to join the search operation. Abdul Aziz who is updating the operation through his Twitter account said the eight hijackers had fled off the vessel at around 8.30pm Thursday night using the vessel's rescue boat. All the 22 crew onboard MT Orkim Harmony were freed about 2.30 am Friday. All crew were safe and fine except a cook of Indonesian national, who is injured at the thigh due to a gunshot by the robbers. Meanwhile when contacted by Bernama, he said RMN would investigate the cause for the shooting of the cook. The vessel was now proceeding to Kuantan Port on the east coast escorted by the Navy's KD Handalan with the latest estimate time arrival at 2 am on Saturday. MT Orkim Harmony, which was laden with 6,000 metric tonne of petrol, worth US$5.65 million (RM21 million), was reported missing at 8.57 pm last Thursday while on its way to Kuantan Port, Pahang, from Melaka. The vessel, owned by Magna Meridian Sdn Bhd, was carrying 22 crew onboard, comprising 16 Malaysians, five Indonesians and a Myanmar national. Meanwhile, the injured cook of MT Orkim Harmony tanker, who were shot by hijackers has been brought to the local hospital of Kubang Kerian Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia (HUSM) Kelantan to receive treatment. Another 12 crew were required to be on board the vessel to steer it to the Kuantan Port, Pahang. Chief Of Navy Admiral Abdul Aziz Jaafar said the cook of Indonesian nationality who was injured on the left thigh was flown to the Kubang Kerian HUSM by helicopter. "He arrived there at 10.15 am today (Friday)," he said when contacted by Bernama here Friday. --BERNAMA

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