Another Ship Sinks Within Two Days Off Singapore’s Pedra Branca

A Malaysia-registered tanker, Silver Sincere, sank in Singapore’s territorial waters off Pedra Branca on Sunday, January 12, 2025.

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) confirmed that all eight crew members were rescued safely. The MPA received a distress call from the Silver Sincere around 3:40 p.m. Singapore time.

The vessel, built in 1987, reported that it was taking on water. The master of the tanker without any delay evacuated the entire crew into life rafts as the situation worsened.

An Indonesia-registered freighter, Intan Daya 368, was directed by MPA to help in the rescue operation. The freighter successfully recovered all crew members from the life rafts.

MPA said that the crew are in good health and will be disembarked at Batu Ampar, Indonesia.

During the search and rescue operation, MPA deployed its craft, supported by vessels from the Republic of Singapore Navy and the Singapore Police Coast Guard.

With the rescue phase completed, MPA has moved to the vessel recovery stage.

Salvage tugs have been deployed to handle the sunken tanker. Additionally, oil spill-response craft have been deployed as a precautionary measure to prevent any environmental damage.

MPA has also issued navigational safety advisories to ensure passing vessels avoid the incident site. The authority confirmed that navigational traffic in the Singapore Strait has not been disrupted.

This incident occurred just a day after a similar operation, where MPA coordinated the rescue of 18 crew members from a Vietnam-registered freighter, Dolphin 18, which sank in Singapore’s search and rescue region.

With two similar incidents reported in a weekend, MPA continues to ensure safety measures are in place and is closely monitoring the situation.

Reference: MPA