(CNN) Search efforts for three missing crew members are underway after a Gabon-registered oil tanker caught fire off the coast of southern Malaysia, Malaysian maritime authorities said in a statement.
The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) said it received an alert about a burning tanker about 37.5 nautical miles northeast of the coastal region of Tanjung Sedili in Johor state at 4 p.m. local time on Monday.
The tanker was sailing from China to Singapore with 28 crew members when it caught fire, MMEA said.
A Navy patrol boat was dispatched to the scene to rescue those on board, the MMEA added. “Fortunately, 23 crew members were rescued from two vessels nearby,” said MMEA Director First Admiral Nurul Hizam Zakaria.
“Although we were able to rescue two crew members, three are still missing,” he added.
“Ongoing operations will include investigations to determine if the trio left the tanker and jumped into the sea or were trapped.”
Maritime authorities in neighboring Singapore said they were sending alerts to ships nearby to keep an eye out for the three missing crew members. The Singapore Maritime and Port Authority identified the tanker as MT Pablo.
Videos showed the tanker burning and large plumes of black smoke billowing into the air. Other ships have been sighted nearby.
It is currently unclear whether there have been any widespread environmental impacts.