12 crew members rescued from Tanzanian burning ship in Singapore waters: MPA

SINGAPORE (The Straits Times/ANN): All 12 crew members of a Tanzania-flagged freighter were rescued after the vessel caught fire on April 16 in Singapore waters, off Pedra Branca.

In a statement on April 16, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) said it was alerted to the blaze on the Layur Anggun (LA8) at 12.50pm.

According to ship tracking and maritime analytics provider MarineTraffic, the LA8 is 72m long and 10m wide.

MPA said in an update later that evening that the vessel was stationary in the waters off Tanjung Berakit, in Indonesian territory.

The crew of LA8 is Indonesian, save for one Bangladeshi national. All were safely recovered onto a Singapore Police Coast Guard boat and taken to Singapore, added MPA.

It has alerted the relevant Indonesian authorities.

Singapore Civil Defence Force firefighters and MPA patrol craft, including tugs, were deployed to provide support.

There was no pollution sighted and no immediate risk to navigational safety as the incident unfolded, added the maritime authority. It also issued navigational broadcasts warning passing ships to steer clear of the burning ship.

The island, Pedra Branca, is the easternmost point of Singapore territory.

MPA investigations are ongoing. – The Straits Times/ANN