Two Crew Members Charged Following Fatal Collision Involving Oil Tanker

Two crew members from the Singapore-registered oil tanker Hafnia Nile have been charged under the country’s Merchant Shipping Act following a collision that resulted in one death and serious injuries to another person, according to Singapore-based news agency CNA.

The charged individuals are 35-year-old Indian national Soosai Antony Vainer and 40-year-old Sri Lankan Wickramage Viraj Amila Shavinda Perera. According to court documents, Perera was the officer in charge of the navigational watch at the time of the incident on July 19, 2024.

The collision occurred approximately 55 km northeast of Singapore’s Pedra Branca island, with both vessels catching fire. The Hafnia Nile was carrying approximately 300,000 barrels of naphtha bound for Japan.

Charge sheets allege that Perera “failed to make a full appraisal of the situation and the risk of dangers to navigation, maintain situational awareness of the area around the Hafnia Nile, a Panamax tanker chartered by Spanish energy firm Cepsa, and ensure that a proper lookout was maintained”. This failure reportedly led to the collision with the Ceres I, suspected of being part of the Iran’s so-called shadow fleet.

Vainer, who served as the duty lookout during the navigational watch, allegedly observed the Hafnia Nile “approaching close” to the Ceres I but failed to report this to the officer in charge. Court documents further allege that Vainer steered the vessel without direction to do so while failing to maintain proper lookout.

The collision resulted in “serious damage” to both vessels and the death of a crew member on board the Ceres I. Another crew member suffered serious injuries.

The Ceres I had no cargo at the time of the accident, but the ship had carried Iranian crude in the past in violation of Western sanctions on Iranian oil exports. The incident was believed to be the first collision involving a shadow fleet vessel.

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore is prosecuting both men. Their cases were heard in the State Courts on July 2 and adjourned to a later date this month.

Malaysian marine authorities reported that preliminary investigations found the Ceres I was anchored due to technical issues when the collision occurred.

No significant oil spill was detected at the collision site, only “an oil sheen believed to be from damage to the Hafnia Nile’s bunker tank”.