On 19 July 2024, two large oil tankers collided and caught fire in waters about 55km northeast of Pedra Branca, an island located at the eastern entrance of the Singapore Strait. One of the vessels involved in the incident was Singapore-flagged Hafnia Nile. In a press statement, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) said that 26 of the 40 crew members on one of the vessels – the Sao Tome and Principe-flagged tanker Ceres I – remained on board to fight the fire aboard their vessel, while the 22-member crew on board the Singapore-flagged tanker Hafnia Nile were rescued and were taken for medical screening, with two crew members requiring further medical examination.

Since their rescue on 20 July, the crew from the Hafnia Nile remained in company-appointed accommodation to accommodate inquiries related to the collision investigations.

Secretary Mr. Terence Tan and Senior Industrial Relations Officer Mr. Kelvin Lin visited the 22 crew members on 23 July to check in on the well-being of the crew.

The visit was much appreciated by the crew members, who recounted their experience from the 19 of July. Hafnia had already established strong crisis counselling for the crew, but the SMOU was glad to provide an additional listening ear

The union concluded its visit with the distribution of some goodie bags to the crew. The personalised visit brought comfort and assurance to the union’s efforts of supporting seafarers. In dialogue with Hafnia, the union understands that the majority of the crew have been repatriated home in mid-August.  

The two oil tankers remain afloat and anchored in Malaysian waters, said Malaysia’s Marine Department on 30 July. Investigations into the accident are still ongoing.