Collision at Sea: Oil Tanker Blaze in Malaysian Waters

Malaysia's coast guard reported a collision between two large oil tankers, the Sao Tome and Principe-flagged Ceres I and the Singapore-flagged Hafnia Nile. The Ceres I, carrying about 2 million barrels of crude, left the accident site, potentially disabling its tracking system. Discussions are ongoing with Malaysian authorities to safely move and salvage the vessels.

Malaysia's coast guard reported a significant collision at sea on Saturday, involving two large oil tankers, the Ceres I and the Hafnia Nile, both of which caught fire. The Ceres I, boasting the Sao Tome and Principe flag, left the accident scene and is suspected to have switched off its tracking system. The Malaysian authorities are actively tracking its location.

The collision occurred early Friday around 55 kilometers northeast of Pedra Branca, a Singaporean island. Emergency response units efficiently rescued the 40 crew members aboard the Ceres I, and efforts to extinguish the blaze continued. Concurrently, the Hafnia Nile, carrying around 300,000 barrels of naphtha, had all its 22 crew members safely evacuated to Singapore.

Salvage experts boarded the Hafnia Nile to ensure it remains stable and pollution-free, while the Ceres I is under surveillance for any irregular activities. Both tankers' operators are in close discussions with Malaysian authorities and other relevant bodies to investigate the cause and impact of the collision.