KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s coast guard said on Sunday (Jul 21) it had located and intercepted a large oil tanker that was involved in a fiery collision with another vessel two days ago off Singapore.
The coast guard said on Saturday that the Sao Tome and Principe-flagged tanker Ceres I had left the location of the collision that caused a fire and injured at least two crew members.
The ship was also believed to have turned off its tracking system, the coast guard said.
The Ceres I was found in Malaysian waters with two tugboats towing it, the coast guard said in a statement on Sunday.
The Ceres I and the two tugboats have been detained by the coast guard for further investigation, it added.
Meanwhile, aerial surveys conducted by the coast guard found minor traces of an oil spill at the location of the collision between the Ceres I and the Singapore-flagged Hafnia Nile, the coast guard said in the statement on Sunday.
“The environment department has been informed and will conduct further monitoring,” it said.
The two tankers were within Singapore’s maritime search and rescue region, about 55km northeast of Pedra Branca, according to Singapore’s Maritime and Port Authority (MPA) in a news release on Friday.
Pedra Branca is located near the eastern entrance of the Singapore Strait, about 44km east of mainland Singapore.
All 22 and 40 crew members on the Hafnia Nile and Ceres I respectively were accounted for, said MPA.
