Two oil tankers blaze near Singapore, rescue efforts underway

Two oil tankers have been ablaze since early July 19 morning off the eastern coast of Singapore, according to the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore.

The fire involves the Singapore-flagged refined-products tanker Hafnia Nile and the crude oil tanker Ceres I, which sails under the flag of São Tomé and Príncipe, Caliber.Az reports citing foreign media.

The incident occurred 55 km (34 miles) northeast of Pedra Branca, at the eastern entrance to the Strait of Singapore.

The cause of the fire is not yet known. The ageing Ceres I highlights the environmental and safety concerns associated with the dark fleet — older vessels operating under less stringent regulations, often transporting sanctioned crude oil through busy waterways. Ship-to-ship oil transfers are a common practice in the region, particularly off the southern Malaysian peninsula.

The Ceres I, built in 2001, has previously transported cargo from Iran and Venezuela. It remains in service well beyond the typical retirement age for such vessels, and its protection and indemnity (P&I) insurer remains unidentified, a common issue for dark fleet ships.

Singapore’s maritime authority has mobilized nearby vessels and a navy ship, the RSS Supreme, to assist with the rescue operations. A Singapore military helicopter is also involved in the search and rescue efforts.

Singapore has faced issues with dark fleet vessels in the past, including a shadow-fleet tanker that ran aground near Singapore in December and the Pablo, which exploded near Malaysia last year, leaving its burning wreckage offshore for months.