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Malaysia coast guard says tanker associated with fire has left site

Malaysia's coast guard stated on Saturday that a person of the 2 big oil tankers included in an accident that resulted in fires on both had left the location of the mishap and was believed to have actually turned off its tracking system.

The coast guard said it was tracking the location of the Sao Tome and Principe-flagged tanker Ceres I, which was suspected to be within Malaysian waters.

The Ceres I was involved in a collision reported early on Friday with the Singapore-flagged Hafnia Nile about 55 km (35. miles) northeast of the Singaporean island of Pedra Branca, the. Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) stated on Friday.

The 40 team on the Ceres I were all represented, the MPA. had said. A Singapore-flagged supply vessel, Dolphin 1, selected. up 14 Ceres I team members, two of whom were left by a. Singapore Flying force helicopter, while 26 were carrying out. fire-fighting operations onboard, the MPA said.

The Chinese owner of the Ceres I might not be grabbed. comment.

The Ceres I is a very large unrefined carrier (VLCC). supertanker, which ship-tracking data last showed was bring. around 2 million barrels of Iranian crude.

However, Iran's oil ministry stated on Saturday that neither. ship had been carrying Iranian crude.

The area where Ceres I had been anchored is known to be utilized. by so-called dark fleet ships for the transfer of Iranian oil in. breach of U.S. sanctions, Michelle Wiese Bockmann,. principal analyst at Lloyd's List Intelligence, stated on Friday.

Matt Stanley, head of market engagement for EMEA & & APAC with. Kpler, stated on Friday that the Ceres I has actually gone dark numerous. times, referring to when vessels turn off their AIS tracking. transponders.

The 74,000-deadweight-tons capacity Panamax tanker Hafnia. Nile was bring about 300,000 barrels of naphtha, according to. ship-tracking information from Kpler and LSEG.

All 22 team aboard the Hafnia Nile were left and. shown up in Singapore on Friday. A video handled Saturday and. published by the Malaysian coast guard revealed the charred Hafnia. Nile afloat. Singapore's MPA did not immediately react to a. request for discuss Saturday.

Restore specialists boarded the Hafnia Nile and recognized a. pulling connection with among the attending yanks, the tanker's. operator Hafnia said in a declaration on Saturday.

A very first assessment on board the vessel validates that no. visible flames are observed, Hafnia said. Contamination levels. around the vessel are still undetermined.

Conversations are underway with Malaysian authorities to. securely move the tanker, it added. Hafnia also stated it is also. complying with Singapore on the continuous examinations into. the cause of the incident.

Singapore is Asia's greatest oil-trading center and the world's. biggest bunkering port. Its surrounding waters are among the. busiest worldwide sea lanes.

(source: Reuters)