Thirty Crew Members Rescued Near Singapore After Fishing Vessel Collides with Tanker 新加坡海峡一渔船撞上油轮后倾覆 30名船员全部获救！

Thirty Crew Members Rescued Near Singapore After Fishing Vessel Collides with Tanker 

新加坡海峡一渔船撞上油轮后倾覆 30名船员全部获救！

Image source: Survivors were transferred from the bulker that picked them up to Indonesia rescue boats

At 07:20 on May 20, an Indonesian fishing boat capsized after colliding with an oil tanker in the waters near Pedra Branca (about 17 nautical miles from Pedra Branca) at the eastern end of the Singapore Strait, and 30 crew members fell into the water. All crew members were rescued through the joint rescue efforts of the maritime authorities of Singapore and Indonesia and passing merchant ships.

5月20日07:20，一艘印尼籍渔船在新加坡海峡东端白礁（Pedra Branca）附近海域（距白礁约17海里）与一艘油轮发生碰撞后倾覆，30名船员落水。经新加坡、印尼两国海事部门及过往商船联合救援，全员获救。

At that time, the Hong Kong - registered container ship , which was heading to Laem Chabang Port in Thailand, immediately notified the Singapore Maritime Rescue Coordination Center (MRCC) of the danger. The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) immediately coordinated with the maritime departments of Indonesia and Malaysia and called on nearby ships for assistance. Subsequently, the Liberian bulk carrier arrived at the accident site first and successfully rescued all 30 crew members. According to the description of the crew members who fell into the water , the fishing boat shook violently after the collision , and some people fell into the water. A survivor said that he was rescued after floating on a life jacket for 4 hours. The rescued fishermen will be transferred to Batam Island, Indonesia for resettlement.

当时，正驶往泰国林查班港的香港籍集装箱船第一时间向新加坡海上救援协调中心（MRCC）通报险情。新加坡海事及港务管理局（MPA）随即协调印尼、马来西亚海事部门，并呼吁附近船舶协助。随后，利比里亚籍散货船最先抵达事发海域，成功救起全部30名船员。据落水船员描述，渔船碰撞后发生剧烈摇晃，部分人员落水，一名幸存者称靠救生衣漂浮4小时后获救。获救渔民将被移送至印度尼西亚巴淡岛进行安置。

As the waters where the incident occurred, the waters near Pedra Branca are located at the throat of the eastern end of the Singapore Strait, with dense ship traffic. Many collisions, fires and shipwrecks have occurred there in history.

作为事发水域，白礁（Pedra Branca）附近海域因地处新加坡海峡东端咽喉要道，船舶通行密集，历史上曾发生多起碰撞、火灾及沉船事故。

Pedra Branca

白礁

Pedra Branca is located at the intersection of the eastern entrance of the Singapore Strait and the South China Sea, with coordinates of 1°19′48″N, 104°24′27″E. It is about 7.7 nautical miles (about 14.3 kilometers) from Johor, Malaysia, 24 nautical miles (about 44.5 kilometers) from the east coast of Singapore, and 7.6 nautical miles from Bintan Island, Indonesia. At low tide, it covers an area of about 8,560 square meters, is about 137 meters long and 60 meters wide.

It is made of granite and its surface is named after the white guano that has been covering it for a long time. Both the Portuguese “Pedra Branca” and the Malay “Batu Puteh” mean “white rock”.

白礁岛位于新加坡海峡东入口与南中国海的交汇处，坐标为北纬1°19′48″、东经104°24′27″。距离马来西亚柔佛州约7.7海里（约14.3公里），距新加坡东岸24海里（约44.5公里），距印尼宾坦岛7.6海里。低潮时面积约8,560平方米，长约137米，宽约60米。

由花岗岩构成，表层因长期覆盖白色鸟粪（guano）而得名，葡萄牙语“Pedra Branca”和马来语“Batu Puteh”均意为“白色岩石”。

There has always been a sovereignty dispute over Pedra Branca. What is its strategic significance to Singapore? Why do Singapore and Malaysia "compete" for it? This island is not as big as a football field, and at low tide, it is even completely under the sea level. It is covered with stones and bird droppings, and seems to have no economic benefits. In fact, the reason why Singapore and Malaysia are eager to compete for this small rock island is its important strategic significance.

It is located on the busy international waterway of cargo ships, and its strategic value is very high. Pedra Branca is located in the eastern part of the Johor Strait, at the convergence point of the Singapore Strait and the South China Sea. It is the throat of the South China Sea into the Malacca Strait and an important shipping channel connecting the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean. About nine hundred ships sail near it every day. Controlling Pedra Branca is equivalent to controlling the relevant waterway, which is of great significance to Singapore's pillar industry - the port industry, and can ensure the safe entry and exit of ships from the South China Sea and the Malacca Strait.

However, due to the dense reefs around it, it has been a high - incidence area of ship sinkings in history. It was marked as a dangerous area on the Portuguese navigation map in the 16th century. From 1824 to 1851, at least 16 major accidents were recorded, including the sinking of a Portuguese ship carrying 500,000 Spanish silver dollars.

白礁一直存在主权争端，我们会想它对于新加坡有何战略意义？新加坡和马来西亚又为何“争夺”它？这个小岛不足一个足球场大，落潮时甚至全境都在海平面以下，而且遍布石头和鸟粪，看似谈不上什么经济效益。事实上，新马双方之所以卯足劲争这座巴掌大的小礁石岛，而是其重要的战略意义。

它坐落在货船来往繁忙的国际水道上，其战略价值颇高。白礁位于柔佛海峡东部，地处新加坡海峡与南中国海交汇的地点，是南海进入马六甲海峡的咽喉要道，也是连接印度洋与太平洋的重要航运通道，每天约有九百艘船只航行于其附近。控制白礁相当于控制了有关水道，对新加坡的支柱产业——海港业意义重大，可保障来自南海与马六甲海峡的船只进出安全。

但是因周围暗礁密布，历史上便是船只沉没高发区。16世纪葡萄牙航海图已标记为危险区域。1824-1851年记录至少16起重大事故，包括载有50万西班牙银元的葡萄牙船只沉没。

August 2017: Collision between a US warship and a merchant ship

In the early morning of August 21, 2017, a US Navy destroyer collided with a merchant vessel near Pedra Branca to the east of Singapore, causing ten crew members to go missing and five to get injured. Both Singapore and Malaysia claimed that the accident occurred in their territorial waters, exposing the background of the sovereignty dispute over Pedra Branca .

一、2017年8月：美舰与商船相撞事件

2017年8月21日清晨，美国海军导弹驱逐舰在新加坡以东、靠近白礁岛的海域与一艘商船相撞，导致10名舰员失踪、5人受伤。新马两国均声称事故发生在各自领海，暴露出白礁岛主权争议的背景。

April 2024: Tanzanian cargo ship fire

On April 16, 2024, a cargo ship flying the Tanzanian flag caught fire in Singapore's territorial waters near Pedra Branca. The Singapore Maritime Authority coordinated the rescue and all 12 crew members on board (11 Indonesians and 1 Bangladeshi) were rescued, and the ship was eventually transferred to Indonesian waters for processing.

二、2024年4月：坦桑尼亚货船火灾

2024年4月16日，悬挂坦桑尼亚国旗的货船在白礁岛附近新加坡领海起火。新加坡海事局协调救援，船上12名船员（11名印尼人、1名孟加拉人）全部获救，船只最终转移至印尼海域处理。

July 2024: Two oil tankers collide and catch fire

On July 19, 2024, a Singapore-flagged tanker collided with a Sao Tome and Principe-flagged tanker about 55 kilometers northeast of Pedra Branca, with a total of 62 crew members in distress. Singapore dispatched warships and helicopters for rescue, and all crew members were safely transferred, including two who were sent to hospital for treatment. The tanker involved then turned off the tracking system and fled, but was intercepted and detained by the Malaysian Coast Guard. The accident has raised concerns about navigation safety in the Singapore Strait, which is an important energy transportation channel from Asia to Europe, with more than 900 ships passing through it every day.

三、2024年7月：两艘油轮碰撞起火事件

2024年7月19日，新加坡籍油轮与圣多美和普林西比籍油轮在白礁东北方向约55公里处相撞起火，共62名船员遇险。新加坡派出军舰和直升机救援，所有船员安全转移，其中2人送医治疗。涉事油轮随后关闭追踪系统逃离，被马来西亚海警拦截扣留。事故引发对新加坡海峡航行安全的关注，该海域是亚洲至欧洲的重要能源运输通道，每日通行量超900艘船舶。

January 2025: Malaysian tanker sinks

On January 12, 2025, a Malaysian-registered liquid cargo ship sank in Singapore waters near Pedra Branca, and eight crew members abandoned the ship and were rescued by an Indonesian cargo ship. The Singapore Maritime Authority launched a plan to salvage the wreck and prevent pollution, and the waterway was not seriously affected.

四、2025年1月：马来西亚液货船沉没

2025年1月12日，马来西亚注册液货船在白礁附近新加坡水域进水沉没，8名船员弃船后被印尼货船救起。新加坡海事局启动沉船打捞及防污染预案，航道未受严重影响。

Analysis of the causes of frequent accidents in the waters near Pedra Branca

白礁附近海域事故频发的原因分析

Pedra Branca is located at the intersection of the eastern entrance of the Singapore Strait and the South China Sea. For hundreds of years, it has been known as the " Shipwreck Island " due to frequent ship accidents .

白礁（Pedra Branca）位于新加坡海峡东入口与南中国海的交汇处，数百年来因船只事故频发而被称为“沉船岛”。

• Complex geographical and hydrological conditions

There are many reefs and shoals in the waters around Pedra Branca, and these obstacles pose a great safety hazard to ships. If a ship deviates from the channel, it is easy to run aground or run aground, especially in conditions of low visibility, such as at night or in bad weather, the risk is even higher. Pedra Branca itself is a low reef made of granite, with an area of about 8,560 square meters at low tide, but it is surrounded by a large number of underwater reefs and shoals, including Middle Rocks and South Ledge, which is only exposed at low tide. These reefs appear and disappear with the changes in the tide, forming a complex “Dragon's Tooth Strait”, which can easily cause ships to run aground.

The area is located in the monsoon intersection zone. During the northeast monsoon (November to March of the following year), the wind and waves are strong and the ocean currents are complex. If a ship deviates from the route or encounters bad weather, it is very easy to be pushed to the reef area.

• 复杂的地理与水文条件

白礁周边海域存在着许多暗礁和浅滩，这些障碍物给船舶航行带来了极大的安全隐患。船舶如果偏离航道，很容易触礁或搁浅，尤其是在能见度较低的情况下，如夜间或恶劣天气时，风险更高。白礁本身是一块由花岗岩构成的低矮礁石，低潮时面积约8,560平方米，但周围分布着大量水下暗礁和浅滩，包括中岩礁（Middle Rocks）和仅在低潮时露出的南礁（South Ledge）。这些礁石在潮汐变化中时隐时现，形成复杂的“龙牙海峡”（Dragon’s Tooth Strait），极易导致船只触礁。

该海域位于季风交汇区，东北季风期间（11月至次年3月）风浪强劲，洋流复杂。船只若偏离航线或遭遇恶劣天气，极易被推向礁石区域。

• Navigation flow factors

As one of the world's important shipping hubs, Singapore has a huge amount of ship traffic in the waters around the island. A large number of merchant ships, fishing boats, passenger ships, etc. shuttle back and forth in the waters near Pedra Branca, with a high density of ships and frequent intersections, which increases the probability of accidents such as collisions and groundings.

• 航行流量因素

作为全球重要的航运枢纽之一，新加坡周边海域的船舶交通流量巨大。大量的商船、渔船、客船等在白礁附近海域穿梭往来，船舶密度高，交汇频繁，这使得发生碰撞、搁浅等事故的概率相应增加。

• Human and management factors

These include negligence in lookout during navigation, improper avoidance measures, unfamiliarity with waterways and traffic rules, fatigue driving, etc. If the crew makes mistakes when operating the ship, such as failing to detect the dynamics of surrounding ships in time, misjudging the navigation environment or taking wrong avoidance actions, accidents may occur.

• 人为及管理因素

包括航行中瞭望疏忽、避让措施不当、对航道和交通规则不熟悉、疲劳驾驶等。船员在操作船舶时如果出现失误，如未能及时发现周围船舶的动态、错误判断航行环境或采取错误的避让行动，都可能导致事故的发生。

Despite the presence of maritime surveillance and rescue forces from Singapore, Indonesia, and other countries in the area, the extensive coverage and numerous vessels pose significant surveillance challenges. Violations by some vessels are difficult to detect and prevent in a timely manner. Additionally, following accidents, rescue operations face numerous hurdles due to the complex circumstances of the area, such as difficulties in positioning and adverse sea conditions, which can exacerbate the consequences of accidents.

The recent collision between a fishing vessel and an oil tanker, though resolved without casualties due to timely rescue efforts, has once again highlighted the potential risks of mixed vessel traffic in busy channels. When fishing boats and large commercial vessels intersect in channels, differences in speed, tonnage, and maneuverability can easily create safety blind spots. Shipping safety is of utmost importance, especially in busy channels, narrow straits, and areas of poor visibility. Crew members must strengthen their lookout and promptly monitor the movements of surrounding vessels.

尽管新加坡和印尼等国在该海域有海事监管和搜救力量，但由于海域广阔、船舶众多，监管难度较大，一些船舶的违规行为难以及时发现和制止。同时，在事故发生后，由于该海域的复杂情况，搜救工作也面临诸多挑战，如定位困难、海况恶劣等，这可能导致事故后果更加严重。

此次渔船与油轮的碰撞事故，虽因及时救援未酿成人员伤亡，却再次暴露出繁忙航道中船舶混行的潜在风险。渔船与大型商船在航道交汇时，因航速、吨位及操作灵活性的差异，易形成安全盲区。航运安全无小事，尤其是在繁忙航道、狭窄水道和能见度不良的区域，船员一定要强加瞭望，及时观察周围船舶动态。