Anchored vessel near Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal catches fire; no reported injuries

SINGAPORE - A vessel anchored off the southeast of Singapore, near Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal, caught fire on Tuesday night.

No injuries were reported.

The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said in a Facebook post on Wednesday evening that four SCDF marine firefighting and rescue vessels and about 40 marine firefighting specialists from Brani and West Coast Marine Fire Stations were deployed, after it was alerted to the incident at about 9.35pm.

A Maritime and Port Authority (MPA) craft was also deployed to the scene.

“Arriving alongside the anchored vessel, the marine firefighting specialists boarded the vessel and using a water jet, they extinguished the fire, which was confined to two accommodation decks,” said SCDF.

Additionally, before SCDF arrived, the vessel’s crew set up three water jets to cool the exterior of the vessel, and two water jets to control the fire.

Known as boundary cooling, this reduces the temperature of the vessel’s metal structure.

After the fire was extinguished, the damping-down operation continued until about 5am on Wednesday. The process prevents the rekindling of fire by spraying water on wet burnt surfaces immediately after a fire is put out, SCDF added.

MPA said on Thursday it was alerted to the incident at about 10pm on Tuesday, after smoke was seen at the accommodation area onboard a Liberia-flagged tanker, anchored at the eastern part of Singapore.

The tanker was not carrying cargo at that time.

All crew members of the affected vessel were accounted for. There were no Singaporeans on board the tanker, added MPA.

No pollution was observed, and there was no disruption to port operations.

An MPA spokesman said: “MPA takes a serious view of safety incidents in the port of Singapore.

“Firm action on vessel and personnel may be taken, including detention of vessel, if it is found not in compliance with the necessary safety regulations.”

SCDF and MPA are investigating the incident.