Two tankers, the Singapore-flagged Hafnia Nile and the São Tomé and Príncipe-flagged Ceres I, caught fire after a collision near Singapore at approximately 6:15 AM local time on July 19, 2024.
The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) reported that the incident occurred about 55 km northeast of Pedra Branca within Singapore’s Maritime Search and Rescue Region. Following the collision, the MPA requested assistance from passing vessels, and the Republic of Singapore Navy ship RSS Supreme and a Singapore Air Force helicopter were dispatched to aid in the search and rescue operations.
Both tankers had a combined total of 62 crew members, all of whom were accounted for. Sixteen crew members from Hafnia Nile were rescued by RSS Supreme, while another six were transferred from a Malaysian government vessel to RSS Supreme, which was en route back to Singapore. All 22 crew members from Hafnia Nile received medical attention onboard RSS Supreme.
The Dolphin 1, a nearby Singapore-flagged supply vessel, rescued 14 crew members from Ceres I, with two requiring medical evacuation to the Singapore General Hospital. The remaining 26 crew members of Ceres I were engaged in firefighting efforts onboard.
Despite initial media speculation linking Ceres I to the transport of Iranian crude oil, the Iranian oil ministry clarified that neither tanker involved in the incident carried Iranian crude, Reuters reports.
The incident did not impact navigational traffic in the area, and a full investigation is underway to determine the cause of the collision.
Reportedly, following the collision, the vessel Ceres I, left the scene and disappeared. The offshore patrol vessel (OPV) KM PEKAN, owned by the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency, successfully detected and intercepted the Ceres I and also detained the two tugboats suspected of being involved in the removal of the Ceres I.
The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency, in collaboration with the Department of Marine Malaysia (JLM), will conduct further investigations into the incident with the re-discovery of the Ceres I.
Meanwhile, an aerial survey by the Bombardier CL 415 MP amphibious aircraft, owned by the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency, found some minor oil spill traces at the scene. The Department of Environment has also been informed about this discovery and will carry out further monitoring in the near future.
