Malaysian firefighters are tackling a blaze on a Vietnamese container ship in the Malacca Straits, port officials said Saturday.

"The fire is under control. The vessel is not in immediate risk of sinking. It is not carrying dangerous cargo," an official with Malaysia's Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre told AFP .

"We have deployed a tug boat and 15 officers to assist the crew to fight the fire. There is no oil spill."

The officer said the captain and the 24 crew of MV Phu Xuan are still aboard the vessel, fighting the fire in the engine room.

"No serious injuries have been reported," he said.

Heading to Vietnam

The ship, located 15 miles off Port Dickson in the southern state of Negri Sembilan, was heading back to Vietnam from Malaysia's Port Klang when the fire broke out late Friday.

The maritime officer said the ship posed no threat to passing vessels in the busy but narrow Malacca Straits, which separates Malaysia and neighbouring Indonesia.

"But we have issued a general alert to ships in the vicinity to be on alert," he added.

About 600 ships, including tankers, ply the Malacca Straits daily.

"If the ship is crippled, we will tow it back to port if the owners request," he added. — AFP