BERNAMA – MT CERES 1 NOT DETECBLE AFTER LEAVING THE COLLISION SITE

KOTA TINGGI, July 20 (Bernama) — The vessel, the MT Ceres 1, which was involved in a collision with the MT Hafnia Nile yesterday, 25 nautical miles northeast of Tanjung Balau, could no longer be detected after it left the accident scene and its Automatic Identification System (AIS) was switched off.

The director of the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) Search and Rescue and Disaster Management Department, First Admiral Zin Azman Mad Yunus, said efforts were underway to locate the vessel, which is registered in the Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe, and the Bombardier CL 415 MP amphibious aircraft had been deployed for rescue and investigation purposes.

He noted that the tanker’s departure from the accident scene is suspicious and did not rule out that the ship left to avoid accountability after the incident.

“Yesterday the ship was still at the location when we suspended the search late in the evening. We resumed this morning, but field resources reported that MT Ceres 1 was no longer there.

“The MMEA cannot determine the actual condition of the vessel and its crew as they are unreachable,” he told a news conference at the Tanjung Sedili Maritime Zone today.

Based on information from the Johor Bahru Maritime Rescue Sub-Centre (MRSC) and the Malaysian Maritime Department, the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) registration number of MT Ceres 1 appears to be questionable. Attempts are being made to obtain information from the vessel’s agent, who has not yet responded.

Zin Azman said the MT Ceres 1, with 40 crew members on board and an unknown type of cargo, was a cause for concern. Fourteen crew members were rescued by a Singaporean tug and taken to Singapore for treatment, while the remaining 26 are believed to still be on the ship, probably in Malaysian waters.

“The condition of these 26 crew members is unclear. Given the disappearance of the vessel, it is possible that they have brought the fire under control and moved to an unknown location, but are likely still within Malaysian waters and the Special Task and Rescue Team (STAR ​​Team) has been deployed to locate the vessel,” he added.

Meanwhile, 22 crew members of the Singapore-registered MT Hafnia Nile, carrying chemicals of the ‘naptha’ type, were rescued by the Singapore Navy RSS Supreme and are being treated in Singapore. The ship drifted to Pemanggil Island and efforts to bring it to a safe place are being coordinated with the Malaysian Marine Department.

Zin Azman confirmed that the incident occurred in national waters and that an oil spill had been detected, adding that more information would be provided shortly.

The Carilamat Forward Base (PHC) was established at the Tanjung Sedili Maritime Zone pier to coordinate the search following the incident at 6:55am yesterday.

–BERNAMA

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