SINGAPORE – An initial assessment by salvage experts who boarded the Singapore-flagged tanker Hafnia Nile on July 21 has confirmed that no flames are visible on board the stricken vessel, which caught fire on July 19 following a reported collision with another vessel.
On July 19, 36 crew members from two ships were rescued in waters about 55km north-east of Pedra Branca after the vessels caught fire.
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) had said on July 19.
In a statement on July 21, a spokesman for Hafnia told The Straits Times: “A first assessment on board the vessel confirms that no visible flames are observed.”
He added that a marine chemist will board the vessel later on July 21 for a further assessment and that pollution levels around the vessel are “still undetermined”.
Shipping company Hafnia is the operator of the Hafnia Nile.
The spokesman said that 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.
Pedra Branca is an island located at the eastern entrance of the Singapore Strait, about 24 nautical miles east of Singapore.
“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.
According to Reuters, Malaysia’s coast guard said on July 20 that the Ceres I had left the location of the accident and was believed to have turned off its tracking system. The coast guard said it was tracking the whereabouts of the vessel, which was suspected to be within Malaysian waters.
Mr Matt Stanley, head of market engagement for EMEA & APAC with Kpler, said on July 19 that the Ceres I has “gone dark” many times, referring to when vessels switch 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.