Singapore Strait collision sinks bunker freighter

Six of the Thorco Cloud's crew members have been rescued.

A freighter bearing the Antigua and Barbuda flag sank within the Singapore Strait final night time (Dec 16) after a collision with a Cayman Islands-registered chemical tanker.

Rescue teams were searching Thursday for six crewmembers missing after their oil-laden freighter collided with a chemical tanker in the Strait of Singapore, as Indonesian authorities announced that fuel found at the site was being tested.

The Straits of Malacca and Singapore (SOMS) have approximately 70,000 vessel transits annually, carrying about a third of global trade.

Six of the 12 crewmembers have been rescued by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore since the accident occurred at 08.30 p.m. (1330GMT) Wednesday around 11 kilometers (6.8 miles) northwest of Batam island.

Search and rescue efforts by the MPA are underway in cooperation with Singapore's Police Coast Guard and the Singapore Civil Defence Force. The chemical tanker hit the general cargo vessel on the boardside, causing large hole below the water line and sinking of Thorco Cloud.

The 37,438 dwt tanker is owned by Stolt Tankers, part of Norwegian bulk liquid transportation and storage company Stolt-Nielsen Ltd. "Search and rescue operations for the remaining freighter crew members are on-going", MPA stated.

MPA 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. Malaysia is closely monitoring the aftermath of yesterday's two-ship collision in the Straits of Singapore, which resulted in a freighter ferrying 560 metric tonnes of oil to sink as there is a possibility of oil spill in Malaysian waters. "While there are now no reports of any oil spill, MPA has also put on standby anti-pollution craft", MPA said.