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Five missing after tanker and dredger collide in Singapore Strait

Five crewmembers are missing from a dredger after it capsized in Singapore waters this morning after colliding with an Indonesian tanker in the eastbound lane of the Traffic Separation Scheme in the Singapore Strait.

Singapore’s Maritime and Port Authority (MPA) says it was notified around 12:40am this morning of the collision, between the 1998-built 30,747 dwt tanker Kartika Segara and Dominican-registered dredger JBB De Rong 19 about 1.7 nautical miles southwest of Sisters Island.

“The dredger was transiting the westbound lane while the tanker was departing Singapore joining the eastbound lane of the Traffic Separation Scheme in the Singapore Strait when the incident occurred. The Singapore Vessel Traffic Information System had provided navigational information to both vessels prior the collision,” MPA said in a statement.

The tanker sustained damage to her starboard bow but is stable and now anchored at the Easter Anchorage with all crew accounted for. The dredger, however capsized and is currently partially submerged and while seven crewmembers, all Chinese nationals, were rescued by the Singapore Police Coast Guard another five crew members are missing. Four of the missing crew are Chinese nationals, while the other is Malaysian.

MPA said there is no disruption to shipping in the Singapore Strait and search and rescue operations are ongoing with ten vessels and a Republic of Singapore Air Force helicopter involved.

The incident comes less then a month after ten US Navy sailors were killed when guided-missile destroyer USS John S. McCain collided with a Greek tanker while transiting to a routine port visit in Singapore.

Grant Rowles

Grant spent nine years at Informa Group based in London, Sydney, Hong Kong and Singapore. He gained strong management experience in publishing, conferences and awards schemes in the shipping and legal areas, working on a number of titles including Lloyd's List. In 2009 Grant joined Seatrade responsible for the commercial development of Seatrade’s Asia products. In 2012, with Sam Chambers, he co-founded Asia Shipping Media.

Comments

  1. This is a pretty bad case. It really, really,. should not have happened, given the investment made in the VTS

    I hope we will be seeing a full report by the Singapore Government.

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