Malaysian authorities have launched an investigation into last Friday’s collision between a Hafnia product tanker and a Chinese-controlled VLCC that has been accused of being part of the dark fleet.
The acting director of Johor State Maritime, Captain Kama Azri bin Kamil, said the 74,200-dwt Hafnia Nile (built 2017) and 300,000-dwt Ceres I (built 2001) will be towed to a safe location to allow further investigation.
The cause of the collision on 18 July is to be investigated by Malaysia’s Southern Region Maritime Department.
Kama Azri said that as the fires on both tankers have been completely extinguished, and the crews have been accounted for, the search and rescue operation phase has been concluded.
"The reported oil spill control management will also be coordinated by the Department of Environment,” he added.
Hafnia, the owner of the Singapore-flagged Hafnia Nile, told TradeWinds on Monday that it was cooperating with Malaysian and Singaporean authorities.
Singapore, as the flag state, has launched its own investigation.
Less cooperation was initially received from Shanghai Prosperity Ship Management, the Chinese manager of the Sao Tome & Principe-flagged Ceres I, which has previously been accused by a US-based pressure group of carrying sanctioned Iranian crude oil with its AIS transponders turned off.
The Ceres I again went dark on the weekend when it was clandestinely towed away from the accident scene by two tugs.
Malaysian authorities later found the vessel under tow within its territorial waters. The tanker and its tugs were seized.
