Oil spills after ship collisions in Singapore waters

text

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore reported two separate incidents of ship collisions near the island of Singapore on Wednesday and Thursday respectively, both resulting in some spillage of bunker fuel from container ships.

There was no report of injury in either incident, and vessel traffic and port operations were not affected, the authority said.

The Hong Kong-flagged chemical tanker Lime Galaxy and China- flagged Feihe collided at about 2.7 kilometers south of Jurong Island, which is known for its cluster of petrochemical firms.

Prior to the incident, the Port Operations Control Center of the Maritime and Port Authority attempted to alert the two vessels of their converging courses.

Good progress has been made in containing and cleaning up the oil spillage resulting from the collision. There has been no further spillage of bunker fuel from Feihe.

As a precautionary measure, oil booms and an oil spill response craft have been deployed around the vessel. Ten craft have been deployed as part of the containment and clean up efforts.

Separately, the authority said it received a report on Thursday that Panama-flagged containership NYK Themis collided into a barge AZ Fuzhou, near Marina South in downtown Singapore.

The barge was being towed by a tug at the time. Prior to the incident, the Port Operations Control Center informed NYK Themis of the presence of AZ Fuzhou in the fairway.

NYK Themis reported that one of her bunker tanks sustained damage, resulting in some spillage of bunker fuel.

Four craft were dispatched by the authority, and oil spill response companies were activated to support the clean up efforts.

The two vessels involved in the collision are currently safely anchored and in stable condition.