SINGAPORE: A Malaysia-registered tanker, the Silver Sincere, sank in Singapore’s territorial waters near Pedra Branca (Batu Puteh) on Sunday (12 January).
The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) confirmed the rescue of all eight crew members, who were safely evacuated using life rafts.
The incident began when MPA received a distress call at approximately 3.40 pm, reporting that the vessel was taking in water.
The crew managed to abandon the sinking tanker and were later recovered by the Indonesia-registered freighter Intan Daya 368, which was directed to assist by MPA.
In a statement released late Sunday, MPA detailed the coordinated search and rescue efforts.
“MPA had also deployed its craft, together with craft from the Republic of Singapore Navy and the Singapore Police Coast Guard,” the statement read.
The rescue phase has now been completed, and all crew members are reportedly in good health.
They will be disembarked at Batu Ampar, Indonesia.
Salvage tugs have been activated to recover the vessel, and oil spill response craft are on standby as a precautionary measure.
MPA is also broadcasting navigational safety advisories to warn passing vessels to steer clear of the incident site.
It was further confirmed that navigational traffic in the Singapore Strait remains unaffected.
Separately, a video shared on Instagram shows crew members of the Silver Sincere gathered on deck wearing life jackets.
In the footage, one crew member, who is recording the video, mentions that the ship is “leaking,” while another is seen lighting an SOS beacon as an emergency signal while awaiting rescue.
According to Indonesian media, authorities in Batam also mobilised resources during the incident.
All eight crew members of the Silver Sincere managed to save themselves in a liferaft before being evacuated by MV Intan Daya 368, which was in the vicinity of the incident.
Additionally, two Indonesian vessels were deployed to assist with search-and-rescue operations and to prepare for the possibility of an oil spill.
This incident occurred just a day after another maritime emergency in the region.
On Saturday, Singapore authorities coordinated the rescue of 18 crew members aboard a Vietnam-flagged freighter, Dolphin 18.
The vessel reportedly sank in Singapore’s maritime search and rescue region, but all crew members were rescued successfully.
The MPA reiterated its commitment to ensuring the safety of maritime traffic in the busy Singapore Strait and praised the swift coordination between multiple agencies involved in the rescue operations.
