Five Missing After Dredger Capsizes Following Collision with Tanker Off Singapore

Photo shows the overturned hull of the dredger JBB DE RONG 19 following its collision with the Kartika Segara in Singapore waters, September 13, 2017.

Five crew members of a Dominican-registered dredger were missing after a collision with an Indonesian-registered tanker in Singapore’s territorial waters on Wednesday, Singapore’s Marine Port Authority (MPA) said.

The collision involved the Dominican-flagged dredger JBB DE RONG 19 and the Indonesian-flagged tanker Kartika Segara and occurred at 12:40 a.m. (Singapore time) on Wednesday, Sept. 13 in the westbound lane of the Traffic Separation Scheme (TSS) in the Singapore Strait.

Seven of the twelve crew members aboard the dredger were rescued and sent to Singapore for medical treatment. 

The missing include four Chinese nationals and one Malaysian, the MPA said. The seven rescued were Chinese nationals.

So far divers have recovered two bodies.

The dredger capsized and is currently partially submerged, while the tanker reported damage to her starboard, MPA said.

Prior to the collision, Singapore’s Vessel Traffic Information System (VTIS) sent navigational information and warnings to both vessels to take preventive actions to avoid a collision, the MPA said. While the vessels acknowledged the information provided by the Singapore VTIS, the collision was not averted, according to the MPA.

AIS Animation of the Collision:

The MPA is leading search and rescue operations with support from the Singapore Navy, Air Force, Police Coast Guard, and the Singapore Civil Defence Force. About 200 personnel are involved in the SAR operations, the MPA said.

It said there had been no disruption to shipping traffic in the Singapore Strait.

The MPA has launched an investigation into the incident. 

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