KUALA LUMPUR – The KD Pendekar, a Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) gunboat, has fully sunk off the coast of Tg Penyusop, Johor, after it was flooded earlier following a collision with an underwater object.
RMN in a statement around 8pm said all 39 crew members on the vessel were safely evacuated before it sank.
“No injuries are reported. The crew are safe and are currently onboard KD Sultan Ismail at Tanjung Pengelih, Johor,” it said.
KD Pendekar sank at 2 nautical miles in the southeast of Tg Penyusop at 3.54pm.
In an earlier statement this afternoon, RMN said the gunboat began leaking and took on water after its hull collided with an object underwater, at around noon today.
The incident occurred during a navy operation off Tg Penyusop.
The leak was detected after water began rushing into the vessel’s engine room.
RMN said salvaging work on the sunken gunboat will still continue.
Other navy assets have also been placed in the area to monitor the situation and for safety and security, it added.
KD Pendekar is part of the Handalan class of vessels developed in Sweden, and is a fast-attack craft that operates close to land. – August 25, 2024