The luxury motor yacht, UN1K, capsized off Muka Head near Penang, Malaysia. A fire was reported on board before the vessel exploded. One crew member is still missing.

The search for the missing crew member is continuing off Penang, Malaysia after the luxury motor yacht, UN1K, caught fire and exploded.

Brazilian Lucas Bondezan hasn’t been seen since the early hours of 16 September 2016. He had jumped from the yacht into the sea.

The vessel later capsized some 15 nautical miles off Muka Head near Penang.

Three other crew managed to make it onto the yacht’s life raft. They were later picked up by a local fishing boat.

M/Y UN1K was making its way from the Royal Yacht Club in Langkawi to Singapore when the crew were forced to abandon ship.

The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) received a satellite distress signal from the boat at about 12.05am.

It’s been reported that the UN1K experienced technical problems in the engine room earlier in the evening before it caught fire and subsequently exploded.

Attempts to search for 24-year-old Bondezan have been hampered by bad weather conditions.

Speaking to the New Straits Times, the Malaysia Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) northern region maritime director, First Admiral Tan Kok Kwee, said rough seas and heavy rain has been making the search difficult.

Rescuers have been focussing on a 10-mile radius where Bondezan jumped into the sea.

“We may extend the radius to 15 miles, depending on sea conditions,” First Admiral Tan Kok Kwee told the New Straits Times.

Two MMEA vessels, KM Burau and KM Kimanis, have been deployed.

The owner of M/Y UN1K is also reported to have chartered a helicopter to help in the search.

The three rescued crew members have all received treatment at Sultanah Bahiyah Hospital in Kedah.

Two of the men – Jaroslav Horejsek, 37, from the Czech Republic, and Rudolf Kolic, 61, from Croatia – are reported to have suffered leg injuries.

Novak Novakovic, 28,  from Serbia, has also received treatment.

The 31-metre M/Y UN1K is reported to be owned by Pascal Vu Anh-Qua and is valued at RM (Malaysian ringgit) 10 million, around US $2.4 million.