3 killed in Malaysia after lifeboat falls into sea from Petronas floating vessel

Three people ⁠were killed ⁠and one was ⁠injured in an accident during lifeboat maintenance work at a floating storage and offloading (FSO) vessel operated by Malaysian state energy ‌firm Petronas on Sunday, the firm said.Petronas, or Petroliam Nasional Berhad, said in a statement on Monday the incident occurred around 12.50pm at FSO Sepat off Terengganu state on the east coast of Malaysia" class="entity-link entity-location" data-entity-id="133385" data-entity-type="location">Peninsular Malaysia.Three ‌workers were pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital, while the injured ‌staff member was evacuated for medical treatment and ⁠remains ⁠under observation, Petronas said.“Investigations into the cause of the ‌incident are ongoing in coordination with the relevant authorities,” it said.The victims were believed to have boarded a lifeboat on the platform to descend to the sea for maintenance work. However, a rope or hook attached to the boat is believed to have come loose, causing them to fall into the sea.Those who died were Ahmad Fiqri Zakaria, 38, Muhammad Faezuan Hakim Mohammad Bustamam, 28, and Nik Muhammad Hafifi Asri Ab Majid, 38.Another victim, Mohd Taufik Mohd Ruslan, 37, was reported to have been seriously injured. He is still receiving treatment at the Sultanah Nur Zahirah Hospital (HSNZ).Muhammad Faezuan’s pregnant wife was distraught after learning about her husband’s death on Sunday.A man walks into a Petronas gas station in August 2024. Photo: Getty ImagesNurkhaeryna Dhania Azreen Khairil Azri, 28, said she was informed that her husband had been involved in an incident at about 4pm on Sunday after she received a call from his employer.“The company was unable to provide any further information about my husband’s condition at that time but only said he was involved in the incident but did not say whether he had died or why they had not obtained the full information,” she said at the HSNZ’s forensics department on Sunday.As soon as she finished with the call, she and her mother left home from Bukit Setongkol, Kuantan, Pahang, and arrived at the hospital at about 7pm.Nur Kairina said the last time she met her husband was on May 17, before he returned to duty on the offshore platform for two weeks.Further ReadingHer husband, an experienced offshore worker since 2019, had just joined the company in March, and was scheduled to return on June 1.“I’m very sad because he had planned to accompany me during my confinement period after we welcome our second child into this world. Only Allah knows how devastated I feel,” she said.