S'pore issues circular on 'utmost importance' of safe navigation

The circular stated: “All types of ship including very large crude carriers, very large ore carriers, mega container ships and unwieldy tows navigate through the busy Singapore Strait and call at the Port of Singapore. Hence, the safety of navigation in the Singapore Strait and Singapore waters are of utmost importance.”

Ship masters watchkeeping officers were reminded to keep a proper lookout, proceed at a safe speed, maintain a radio watch and listen for vessel traffic information from the vessel traffic information system (VTIS).

In recent weeks there have been three collisions resulting in oil spills.

On Monday the Liberian-flagged containership Hammoia Thracium leaving the port and a Panama-flagged chemical tanker Zoey collided off Seborak Island, resulting in an 80-tonne bunker spill. The incident occurred just as efforts to clean oil spills from two previous incidents were completed.

On 30 January the containership NYK Themis hit the barge AZ Fuzhou at East Keppel Fairway at about 4 km south of Marina South and the Hong Kong-flagged chemical tanker Lime Galaxy collided with the China-flagged containership Feihe at about 2.7 km south of Jurong Island on 29 January.