All crew members accounted for
At around 9.00am (Singapore time), 8 August, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) received a report that Singapore-registered tanker, ‘MT JOAQUIM’ (1796GT), had been found approximately 13.7 nautical miles off Tanjung Keling, Malaysia, after it was reportedly hijacked one day before.
According to the vessel’s ship management company, RTBS Consultants Pte Ltd, there were nine crew members onboard at the time of the incident. All crew members (a Singaporean and eight Indonesians) are accounted for. Oil cargo onboard the tanker was reported missing.
MPA is working with the Malaysian authorities to ensure the safety of the crew members and the vessel. An injured crew member was reportedly airlifted to Alor Gajah Hospital in Malacca, Malaysia, for treatment. Meanwhile, the vessel’s ship management company is making arrangements to bring the tanker back to Singapore.
At about 7.00pm (8 August), MPA received a report that the ‘MT JOAQUIM’ was hijacked at approximately 29 nautical miles north of Pulau Rupat in the Strait of Malacca. At the time of the incident, the vessel was on her way to Pulau Langkawi, Malaysia, from Tanjung Pinang, Indonesia.
The Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) Information Fusion Centre (IFC) promptly alerted the Malaysian, Indonesian and Thai authorities to look out for the vessel, and shared information on the profile of the ‘MT JOAQUIM’ to facilitate search efforts. IFC also shared the vessel’s profile with its network of shipping companies.
Source: MPA Singapore