The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) was alerted to a distress call from a tanker reporting that it was taking in water on 12 January.
The Malaysia-registered tanker SILVER SINCERE after taking in water eventually sunk in Singapore’s territorial waters off Pedra Branca. The master of the vessel successfully evacuated all crew members from the sinking ship.
All eight crew members were safely rescued from the liferafts by the Indonesia-registered freighter INTAN DAYA 368, which had been directed by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore to assist.
The crew is in good health and will be disembarked at Batu Ampar, Indonesia.
Moreover, as part of the search and rescue efforts, MPA deployed its own craft, along with assets from the Republic of Singapore Navy and the Singapore Police Coast Guard.
The search and rescue operations, coordinated by MPA, have now been completed. For the vessel recovery phase, MPA has engaged salvage tugs, and as a precautionary measure, oil spill response craft have also been activated.
MPA has issued a navigational safety advisory, advising passing vessels to stay clear of the incident site. However, navigational traffic in the Singapore Strait remains unaffected.