According to the latest media reports the freighter Thorco Cloud carrying 560 metric tonnes of bunker fuel sank after the collision with chemical tanker Stolt Commitment in the Singapore Strait.
Only six crew members from Thorco Cloud’s crew of twelve have been rescued and a search is ongoing for others 6 seamen which are reported missing.
Image: Dragec
MPA says it deployed two patrol craft for search and rescue operations. Singapore’s Police Coast Guard supported the MPA by deploying five boats, and rescued five of the 12 freighter crew members, the sixth crew member was rescued by the chemical tanker.
The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) dispatched two vessels to assist in the search and rescue efforts. SАР operations for the remaining freighter crew members are on-going. MPA has alerted the Indonesian authorities to the incident, which have also commenced search operations in the area.
Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) is also assisting the Indonesian authorities to survey and mark the sunken freighter to ensure navigational safety, and has issued navigational broadcasts to vessels in the vicinity to keep clear of the area and to report any sightings of the missing crew members.
There is no disruption to shipping traffic in the Singapore Strait, it said. Up to the moment there are no reports for any oil spill, however MPA has put on standby anti-pollution craft.
The chemical tanker sustained minor damage and is in stable condition, according to a press release from the Maritime and Port Authority (MPA) of Singapore.
Video representation of STOLT COMMINTMENT collision with general cargo ship THORCO CLOUD:
Related news: STOLT COMMITMENT tanker collided with cargo ship THORCO CLOUD in Singapore Strait (VIDEO)
Source: www.straitstimes.com