In June 1947, a ship began sending distress signals to several ships in the area of the Strait of Malacca. The message said, "All officers including captain are dead, lying in chartroom and bridge. Possibly whole crew dead." Then a pause before it concluded, "I die." Later when the Ourang was rescued by another ship, all those on the entire Ourang were dead. Their faces were frozen with extreme fear and their arms outreached. While towing the Ourang it caught on fire and it had to be cut loose at sea. Till this day nobody knows what happened to the SS Ourang Meden and its crew.