BONE FRAGMENTS, SKULL FOUND ON ILL-FATED SHIP

PORT DICKSON (Malaysia), Aug 22 (Bernama) -- Several bone fragments and a
skull were found on razed tanker MT Formosa Product Brick by fire and rescue
personnel in Friday evening.

Negeri Sembilan CID chief ACP Mohd Zaki Masrof said the search operation for
victims of Tuesday's ship collision tragedy involved 81 personnel from the
police, fire and rescue department and the Negeri Sembilan marine department.

"We have scoured the entire four-storey superstructure of the tanker and
found charred bone fragments, believed to be from two different bodies, and a
skull on the second deck," he told a press conference here.

However, he said the identities of the two victims had yet to be ascertained
and that the skull and bone fragments had been sent to the Port Dickson Hospital
for forensic examination.

In the tragedy, the tanker carrying naptha caught fire after being involved
in a collision with bulk carrier MV Ostende Max in the Melaka Strait, about 20
nautical miles from here, causing nine crewmembers to be missing and believed to
have been trapped in the tanker's engine room and superstructure.

Thirteen of 22 crew on the tanker, mostly from China and the captain were
managed to be saved in the 8.50pm incident. No one was hurt on the bulk carrier
which was only slightly damaged in the incident.

Mohd Zaki said search operations were discontinued at 9.25pm Friday night
and would resume first light Saturday.

"Efforts to find the seven other victims, who are also believed to be dead,
and trapped in the engine room will continue Saturday," he said.

-- BERNAMA