Missing Singapore-Registered Tanker Found

A tanker hijacked on Sunday has been found approximately 13 nautical miles off Tanjung Keling, Malaysia.

The crew of the 1,796gt Singapore-registered MT Joaquim are accounted for, says the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA).

According to the vessel's ship management company, RTBS Consultants, there were nine crew members onboard at the time of the incident, one Singaporean and eight Indonesians. Two injured crew members, one of them the master, were airlifted to Alor Gajah Hospital in Malacca, Malaysia, for treatment. The men had been hit with blunt objects by the pirates.

MPA is working with the Malaysian authorities to ensure the safety of the other crew members and the vessel. Meanwhile, the vessel's ship management company is making arrangements to bring the tanker back to Singapore.

The vessel was hijacked at approximately 29 nautical miles north of Pulau Rupat in the Strait of Malacca. At the time of the incident, the vessel was on its way to Pulau Langkawi, Malaysia, from Tanjung Pinang, Indonesia.

The cargo of 3,500 ton of marine gas oil on board the tanker is reported missing.