400-tonne Singapore oil spill prompts criminal charges warning

The collision created a rupture in one of the oil cargo tanks on Marine Honor, which caused low-sulphur fuel oil to leak into the sea, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore, National Environment Agency, National Parks Board and Sentosa Development Corporation said in a joint statement on Sunday.

Local media reported that about 400 tonnes of oil were spilled as a result.

Several beaches on Sentosa Island have been closed since the weekend because of the spill, including at East Coast Park, St John’s, Lazarus and Kusu Islands. Sea activities and swimming are not allowed at the three beaches, even though they remain open to the public.

“Investigations are still ongoing, but preliminary findings show that the allision [ship collision] on June 14 was caused by the dredger experiencing sudden loss of engine and steering controls. It is not due to port congestion, as our port waters and anchorages are not congested,” Transport Minister Chee Hong Tat said on Tuesday evening.

On Monday, Van Oord, the operator of the dredger Vox Maxima, said in a statement that it “regrets the allision under pilotage with the bunker vessel Marine Honor”.

Van Oord said it had sent a team to Singapore to assist and support the captain and crew of the Vox Maxima.

“As responsible operators, we are fully insured with a leading member of The International Group of Protection and Indemnity Clubs and will meet our responsibilities and obligations in relation to this incident,” it said in a statement.

The insurer and flag state of the vessel were also investigating the cause of the incident, the maritime contracting company said, adding it could not comment further while investigations were ongoing.

Legal experts told This Week In Asia that it could take