One crew member injured after ‘unauthorised boarding’ of vessel in Singapore Strait: MPA

Gabrielle Andres

SINGAPORE – One crew member of a Singapore-registered chemical tanker was injured after an “unauthorised boarding” incident was reported in the Singapore Strait on the morning of Feb 28.

According to the police, the injured crew member is a 29-year-old Indian national, who was conscious when taken to hospital for medical treatment.

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) said it was alerted to the unauthorised boarding of the Basset that took place at about 7am outside Singapore territorial waters.

There are no Singaporean crew on board, MPA said, adding that all the crew are accounted for.

“Safety of navigation along the Singapore Strait is not affected,” it said.

The authority had issued safety broadcasts to vessels, telling them to maintain a vigilant watch.

The Singapore Police Coast Guard (PCG) and the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) were activated to assist the tanker’s crew on the morning of Feb 28.

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Police said in a statement that the incident took place about two nautical miles outside Singapore territorial waters.

They added that the PCG boarded the tanker at about 8.20am and performed a sweep to ensure that no perpetrators remained on board.

In response to media queries, SCDF said it dispatched two marine firefighting and rescue vessels from West Coast Marine Fire Station to the location.

The Basset is now anchored in Singapore waters.

According to the MagicPort website, the vessel is owned by Singapore-based Grace Ocean, which also owns Dali, the ship that brought down a four-lane bridge in the US port of Baltimore in March 2024.

source : straitstimes