No flames visible on S’pore-flagged tanker involved in collision near Pedra Branca: Shipping firm
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Crewmen being transferred after they were airlifted to the Singapore General Hospital on a Republic of Singapore Air Force helicopter.
PHOTO: THE REPUBLIC OF SINGAPORE AIR FORCE/FACEBOOK
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SINGAPORE – An initial assessment by salvage experts who boarded the Singapore-flagged tanker Hafnia Nile on July 20 confirmed that no flames were visible on board the stricken vessel, which had caught fire a day earlier following a reported collision with another vessel.
On July 19, 36 crew members from two ships were rescued
Both ships – Hafnia Nile, and the Sao Tome and Principe-flagged tanker Ceres I – caught fire at about 6am, in a part of the sea that falls within Singapore’s Maritime Search and Rescue Region, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) said on July 19.
In a statement sent to The Straits Times on July 21, a spokesman for Hafnia said: “A first assessment on board the vessel confirms that no visible flames are observed.”
He added that a marine chemist would board the vessel later for a further assessment, and that pollution levels around the vessel were “still undetermined”.
Shipping company Hafnia is the operator of the Hafnia Nile.
The spokesman said the salvage experts had established a towing connection with one of the attending tugs and that “currently, discussions are under way with Malaysian authorities to safely move the vessel, as well as cooperation with Singapore as the flag state on investigations”.
The 22 crew members of the Hafnia Nile who arrived in Singapore on July 20 following their evacuation from the vessel remain in good condition and are residing in company-arranged accommodation, he added.
Investigations into the incident that occurred in the South China Sea are ongoing, he added.
“Hafnia again would like to thank the Singapore maritime rescue and coordination centre, the Republic of Singapore Navy, Republic of Singapore Air Force, MPA, the Malaysian Coast Guard, and other authorities and parties for their support and efforts during ongoing operations,” the spokesman said.
On July 21, Reuters reported that the Malaysian coast guard said it had located and intercepted the Ceres I, which was found in Malaysian waters.
The coast guard said the tanker and the two tugboats that were tugging it have been detained by the coast guard for further investigation. A day earlier, the coast guard said the Ceres I had left the location of the collision and was also believed to have turned off its tracking system.
Mr Matt Stanley, head of market engagement for EMEA & APAC with Kpler, said on July 19 that the Ceres I had “gone dark” many times, referring to vessels switching off their AIS tracking transponders, also known as the automatic identification system.
Reuters reported that the Ceres I is a very large crude carrier (VLCC) supertanker, which ship-tracking data last showed was carrying around two million barrels of Iranian crude.
Citing Ms Michelle Wiese Bockmann, principal analyst at Lloyd’s List Intelligence, it said the area where the Ceres I had been anchored is known to be used by so-called dark fleet ships for the transfer of Iranian oil in contravention of US sanctions.
However, Iran’s oil ministry denied on July 20 that either ship had been carrying Iranian crude.
Reuters also reported on July 21 that the Spanish oil and gas company Cepsa said Hafnia Nile was carrying naphtha loaded from the company’s energy park in Huelva, Spain. Cepsa did not comment on the quantity or status of the cargo.
The Hafnia Nile, a 74,000 deadweight tons-capacity Panamax tanker, was carrying about 300,000 barrels of naphtha, according to ship-tracking data from Kpler and LSEG. Naphtha is a raw material for making petrochemicals.
