Oil Tanker Collision in Malaysian Waters Sparks Alarms and Investigations

A collision involving two large oil tankers, the Ceres I and Hafnia Nile, near Singapore has resulted in fires and a search operation. The Ceres I, suspected of turning off its tracking system, is under investigation while all crew members have been accounted for and evacuated safely.

Malaysia's coast guard reported on Saturday that one of the two large oil tankers involved in a collision leading to fires had left the accident site and likely disabled its tracking system. The Sao Tome and Principe-flagged tanker, Ceres I, is suspected to be within Malaysian waters.

The collision, which occurred early on Friday, involved Ceres I and the Singapore-flagged Hafnia Nile, situated 55 km (35 miles) northeast of Pedra Branca island. All 40 crew members of Ceres I are accounted for, with 14 evacuated by a Singapore Air Force helicopter and 26 engaged in fire-fighting operations onboard. The Chinese owner of Ceres I could not be reached for comment.

All 22 crew members on Hafnia Nile were evacuated to Singapore, where its operator stated a tug was assisting firefighting operations. Video footage by the Malaysian coast guard shows the charred Hafnia Nile adrift.

(With inputs from agencies.)