Maritime authorities said Wednesday that an Indonesian boat carrying 63,000 coconuts capsized in the busy Malacca Strait after being hit by a storm.

The Malacca Strait is a vital international waterway with more than 30 percent of global trade and half the world's oil shipments passing through it annually.

Zulkifli Abu Bakar, head of the Maritime Enforcement Agency for the country's south told AFP that officials were alerted to the accident Sunday following bad weather off the coast of Batu Pahat.

All four Indonesian crew members were plucked from the heavy seas by a passing Malaysian International Shipping Corporation (MISC) vessel, which handed them over to Indonesian consulate staff in Johor.

"The Indonesian boat was hit by a massive storm and large waves caused it to sink.

"(The crew) hung on to empty barrels while out at sea before being saved by a passing vessel," Zulkifli said.

The coconuts, which were wrapped in nets, have been recovered from the stricken vessel.

- AFP