PUBLISHED ONFebruary 28, 2025 9:40 AMBySean LerAt least one crew member of a Singapore-registered chemical tanker, Basset, is reportedly injured after an unauthorised boarding in the Singapore Strait, outside Singapore's territorial waters.
According to the International Maritime Organisation, unauthorised boarding of a vessel can occur through piracy, robbery or stowaways.
In a media statement on Friday (Feb 28), the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) said that it was alerted to the incident onboard the merchant tanker at about 7am.
The authority also said that it has issued safety broadcasts to other vessels, asking them to be vigilant.
It added that the Basset is currently anchored in Singapore waters and the Singapore Police Coast Guard (PCG) and Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) have been activated to render assistance.
In response to AsiaOne's queries, the police said that they were alerted to the incident at about 7am.
The PCG boarded the tanker at about 8.20am after it entered Singapore Territorial Waters and performed a sweep to ensure that no perpetrators remain onboard.
Police investigations are ongoing.
SCDF told AsiaOne that two marine firefighting and rescue vessels from West Coast Marine Fire Station were dispatched to assist Basset. One injured crew member was taken to the National University Hospital.
According to vessel tracking platform MarineTraffic, the tanker departed Tanjung Pelapas port in Johor at 3.42am on Friday and was headed for Pengerang port, also in Johor.
It is currently anchored in Singapore waters off Pulau Semakau.
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