The Public Prosecutor in Singapore is pursuing charges against the master, chief officer, and pump master of the Vietnamese chemical tanker GT Win following the death of a crewmember, Hoang Van Chau, who entered an inadequately vented tank. The pump master, Le Thanh Dung, pleaded guilty on July 2 to endangering a fellow crew member’s life.
The incident occurred on May 11, 2024, after the tanker, which was carrying naphtha, docked in Singapore and moved to anchorage. Chief officer Dao Tien Manh ordered three crew members to clean the emptied tanks without checking oxygen levels or conducting necessary safety inspections. Furthermore, he instructed Dung to modify a breathing apparatus, leading to impractical safety measures.
While working in one tank, Chau lost consciousness. Despite attempts at CPR and emergency medical assistance, he was pronounced dead, having been exposed to volatile hydrocarbons. Investigators found inconsistencies in Dung’s statements regarding the tank’s gas-free status and the modified mask, which he claimed was discarded by the master to mislead authorities for insurance purposes.
Dung received a sentence of three months and two weeks in jail, while cases against the master and chief officer remain pending in court.
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