Singaporean Ferry Suffers Damage in Collision With Product Tanker

 

Authorities in Singapore are investigating a dangerous collision between a ferry and a chemical tanker in the country’s waters, an incident that left the ferry passengers in panic.

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) said it has launched investigations on a collision between the Singapore-registered passenger ferry Horizon 9 and the Marshall Islands-registered tanker La Digue that occurred late Monday afternoon.

The ferry was en route to HarbourFront Centre when the collision occurred off the Southern Islands, with videos taken by panic-stricken passengers capturing the incident. To prevent a disaster, MPA acted quickly by immediately deploying a patrol craft that escorted and guided the ferry back to HarbourFront Centre.

MPA said that all the 165 passengers and seven crew on board Horizon 9 were safely disembarked at the regional ferry terminal at HarbourFront Centre. Though the 2014-built ferry sustained significant damage to its bow above the waterline, captured in video by passengers, it remained fully operational while en route back to shore.

The 183-meter chemical tanker did not report any damage and there were no reports of injury to passengers and crew, or pollution arising from the incident. There was also no impact to navigational traffic or port operations. MPA said that it has opened an investigation into the incident.