20151223 Malaysia Two Myanmar Skippers Injured, Hit By Random Fire At Maritime Border
Malaysia Dec 23 2015 “Other”
Dead : dead 0 or unknown Burnout : 0 or unknown Injured : injured 1 to 9
Two Myanmar Skippers Injured, Hit By Random Fire At Maritime Border
Updated: 2015-12-23 12:00
LUMUT, Dec 23 (Bernama) — Two Myanmar skippers who worked on different local fishing boats were injured after they were hit by random fire from an unidentified boat in separate incidents at the country’s maritime border about 30 miles southwest of Tanjung Sauh, Sabak Bernam, Selangor, here, on Dec 13.
District 3 Lumut Maritime Enforcement chief Maritime Capt Zulinda Ramly said that during the incident nine crew including the two skippers, aged between 25 and 45, were on the two boats.
She said that in the first incident, which occurred at about 10am, a skipper was injured in the right leg after being hit by pieces of the boat’s mirror which shattered in the shooting.
“The skipper said their boat was chased by a white and blue boat which carried an Indonesian flag and resembled boats of the neighbouring country’s enforcement agency.
“The second incident involved another boat, which resulted in the injury of a skipper’s a left foot after being shot at from the same boat at around 2pm the same day,” she said in a statement here today.
Zulinda said checks on both the boats found that all the crew, including the skippers, did not have valid travel documents.
“All of them are currently detained by the Hutan Melintang Police for further investigation under the Immigration Act, while the injured were sent to the Teluk Intan Hospital for treatment and have been reported to be stable.
“Meanwhile, the two fishing boats returned to the base in Hutan Melintang on the same day,” he said.
Zulinda said investigations revealed that the two boats were in Indonesian waters near the international border, and the boats were riddled with bullets.
She advised local fishermen not to fish in waters near the international maritime border until the investigation was completed.
“Boat owners should also consider installing a Mobile Tracking Unit and ensure that it always works, to facilitate the Maritime and Fisheries Department to monitor and record, if a situation occurs,” she said.
Web Source: Bernama
http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v8/newsindex.php?id=1201846