Terengganu: The 'ghost ship' appears to be risk-free as no hazardous chemicals or human remains were found in the abandoned hulk that drifted into the waters of Semangkok A oil platform in Terengganu, said Kemaman Maritime Zone director, Maritime Commander Abdul Halim Hamzah.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, 17 members of the Malaysian Fire and Rescue Department's (JBPM) Hazardous Materials (Hazmat) Special Team and three officers from the Malaysian Marine Department (JLM) of Terengganu were involved in an hour-long inspection on three levels of the 53.7-metre-long and 10-meter-wide ship at the Kemaman Supply Base (KSB) today. The fire department utilized two types of high-tech equipment, Four-Gas Meter (FGM) and Gasmet (gas analyser), to detect the presence of any hazardous materials or gases in the ship.

"The Hazmat team used high-tech advanced equipment to detect any readings from hazardous chemicals or gases on all three levels of the ship. The area was found to be safe, with no signs or presence of human remains. Initially, there was an unpleasant odour, but upon inspection, it was traced to raw materials in the refrigerator," Commander Abdul Halim stated at a press conference at the Kemaman Maritime Zone.

Moreover, the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) team plans to conduct regular patrols around the ship's area to prevent trespassing. "The 293-tonne ship will be handed over to the JLM for further action," he added.

Earlier, the ghost ship was towed approximately 140 nautical miles to KSB at around 11:30 am before the safety inspection by the JBPM-JLM team was conducted at 3:30 pm. According to MMEA, the ghost ship was first spotted on August 12.

Media reports earlier suggested that the Pahang MMEA believes the ghost ship to be an oil tanker that caught fire off Tanjung Sedili Kecil, off the Johor coast on August 7, resulting in the death of one crew member, with four others injured.