KUALA LUMPUR, July 30 — Two tankers that collided and caught fire near Singapore earlier this month are afloat and anchored in Malaysian waters, with an investigation into the incident ongoing, the Marine Department said today.
The Singapore-flagged Hafnia Nile and the Sao Tome and Principe-flagged Ceres I collided and caught fire about 55 km northeast of Singapore’s Pedra Branca island early July 19.
The Hafnia Nile, a Panamax tanker, was carrying about 300,000 barrels of naphtha destined for Japan, according to ship-tracking data from Kpler and LSEG. Naphtha is a raw material for making petrochemicals.
“The Hafnia Nile is hazardous as it is still carrying its naphtha cargo,” Marine Department director-general Mohamad Halim Ahmed told a press conference, adding the tanker was severely burnt and its superstructure was compromised.
“Our priority is to ensure it remains afloat and can be moved safely.”
Halim said his department is in contact with Singapore authorities and the Ceres I owner to move both vessels to a safe location.
Once both vessels were moved out of open waters to a port, Putrajaya will decide on the next steps of the investigation, he said.
— Reuters
