Ship collision causes 33,000 barrel oil spill off Singapore

[SINGAPORE] An oil tanker and a bulk carrier collided off Singapore on Friday, causing a crude oil spill, the Maritime and Port Authority (MPA) said.

The Libyan-registered oil tanker Alyarmouk collided with the Singapore-registered bulk carrier Sinar Kapuas about 11 nautical miles north-east of Pedra Branca, east of Singapore. "Alyarmouk reported that one of her cargo tanks sustained damage, resulting in some spillage of crude oil," the MPA said in a statement.

V Ships UK, which manages Alyarmouk, estimated that 4,500 tonnes (33,000 barrels) of Madura crude oil had been spilled from the tanker, it added.

There was no report of injury and traffic in the port and the Strait of Singapore was unaffected.

Alyarmouk was travelling from Tanjung Pelapas, Malaysia to China, and Sinar Kapuas from Hong Kong to Singapore, when the incident occurred, the MPA said.

Two oil spill response companies have been activated to combat the spill, which might have also affected northern parts of the Indonesian island of Bintan, the MPA said.

REUTERS