MV Dayang Topaz Incident
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On Wednesday, 27th October 2020, an incident occured with the MV Dayang Topaz at around 6.45am in the morning off the shores of Baram, Miri.
According to news sources, the offshore support vessel - which was built in 2012 - had reportedly broke from its anchor during bad weather amid high waves and high winds, and drifted uncontrollably before colliding with the nearby Baram B oil platform, which resulted in heavy damage to both the platform and the ship, with the latter taking on water. The ship sent out a distress signal which prompted nearby ships to assist.
What happened during that was unclear, but most of the onboard numbering 125 had evacuated, abandoned, or simply just fell overboard from the ship during or after the collision and was scattered in the sea, which prompted an intense search and rescue operation.
The last of those drifting at sea was found at around 2pm in the afternoon that, but unfortunately the accident had taken two lives.
The company that owned the vessel later on reported that the vessel had not sunk (which was what had been initially reported), but was badly damaged by the accident.
Photos from the Maritime Department
In the 1920s, these were the years when the Miri field began to decline. Exploration was carried out further and further afield. In 1926 an exploratory team had gone as far as Padang Barawa between the Sungai Seria and Sungai Barawa. Not much attention was paid to their findings then, but now with the Miri field declining the old maps and charts were taken out and studied again.
Miri Hotel is located in the heart of the old town area. With eatery stalls around it and most of the old town highly accessible just by walking.
Tanjung Lobang Lighthouse station was established in the 1930s in an area around Tanjong Lobang with beautiful & spectacular sea cliffs, and rich in history. Next to it is a Second World War Memorial, commemorating the oil field workers killed during the war.