3 Killed, 1 Seriously Injured After Lifeboat Plunges Into Sea From Petronas Offshore Vessel Off Malaysia

Three contractor workers were killed, and another seriously injured, after a lifeboat detached and fell into the sea during maintenance operations aboard a Petronas-operated floating storage and offloading vessel off Malaysia’s east coast.

The accident happened at around 12:50 p.m. local time on Sunday at the FSO Sepat facility off Terengganu state in Peninsular Malaysia, according to Malaysian state energy company Petroliam Nasional Berhad, commonly known as Petronas.

Police said the four workers had boarded a lifeboat to carry out maintenance work below the offshore platform.

However, a rope or hook attached to the boat is believed to have detached, causing the lifeboat and all four workers to fall into the sea.

Rescue teams recovered the workers from the water and brought them back to the platform before they were airlifted by helicopter to Sultan Mahmud Airport and then rushed to Hospital Sultanah Nur Zahirah (HSNZ) in Kuala Terengganu.

Three workers were pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital, while another worker remains under treatment with serious injuries believed to include bone fractures.

Police identified the dead workers as Ahmad Fiqri Zakaria, 38; Muhammad Faezuan Hakim Mohammad Bustamam, 28; and Nik Muhammad Hafifi Asri Ab Majid, 38.

The injured worker was identified as Mohd Taufik Mohd Ruslan, 37, from Banting, Selangor.

Kuala Terengganu police chief Assistant Commissioner Azli Mohd Noor said all four victims were part of the platform’s safety department and were conducting lifeboat maintenance work when the accident occurred.

Petronas said investigations into the cause of the incident are ongoing with relevant authorities.

“It is with deep regret that three personnel were confirmed dead upon arrival at Hospital Sultanah Nur Zahirah,” the company said in a statement.

The company also expressed condolences to the families, friends and colleagues of the victims and said its immediate priority was supporting those affected.

Floating Storage and Offloading units

FSO vessels, or Floating Storage and Offloading units, are offshore facilities used to store and transfer oil produced from nearby fields before it is transported by tanker.

They are a key part of offshore energy logistics in regions where fixed pipeline infrastructure is limited.

Lifeboat systems on offshore platforms are designed for emergency evacuation and operational access.

Maintenance work involving suspended lifeboats and launch systems carries elevated operational risk due to heavy-load transfer mechanisms, release hooks, davit systems, and offshore sea conditions.

References: Reuters, Malay Mail