Anti-sub crew trapped after cargo ship collision

Four female Singaporean navy officers were still missing today following the worst naval accident in modern Singapore’s history.

The ANL Indonesia, a 52,000-ton cargo ship owned by Dutch company P&O Nedlloyd, rammed into a Singaporean anti-submarine patrol boat off Malaysia’s southern coast causing “severe damage”, said Singapore’s minister of defence Tony Tan.

Four weapons and equipment specialists were still missing, believed to be trapped in the damaged area of the warship, Tan said.

Port authorities were towing the damaged warship to Singapore’s Changi Naval Base where rescue efforts would continue, Tan said.

The defence ministry earlier said it believed the missing women were asleep when the 500-ton RSS Courageous was struck. “The sleeping quarters are located in the aft of the ship where the most severe damage was sustained,” the ministry said in a statement.

The island state’s navy chief Lui Tuck Yew said the accident was the worst in Singapore’s naval history. Singapore is located along a major route for container ships and oil tankers, and is one of the world’s busiest seaports.

Eight others from of the navy ship’s 44-strong crew suffered minor injuries, and three of them were taken to Changi General Hospital for observation, the ministry said.

No injuries were reported aboard the South Korea-bound ANL Indonesia, which was towed to a Singapore’s Eastern Anchorage, the ministry said. It is not known what cargo the container ship was carrying. P&O Nedlloyd could not be immediately reached for comment.

The accident occurred minutes before midnight about one nautical mile north of Pedra Branca, an islet claimed by both Singapore and Malaysia, the ministry said. Pedra Branca lies off peninsular Malaysia’s southern coast, strategically situated at the eastern entrance of the Singapore Strait.

Tan said the patrol boat was in Singapore waters when it was struck and that the incident should not have any effect on ties with Malaysia.

Malaysian authorities have been alerted to the incident but were not involved with search and rescue efforts, according to a spokesman for Malaysia’s International Maritime Bureau. Malaysia would assist Singapore upon request, he said.

The RSS Courageous, commissioned in 1996, is one of six sub hunters in Singapore’s navy fleet.

Singapore and Malaysia have contested ownership of the islet, also called Pulau Batu Puteh, since 1979.