In Singapore, the chief officer of a chemical tanker was sentenced to two years and nine months in prison after a tragic incident led to the death of a crew member. Dao Tien Manh, 32, directed four men, including Hoang Van Chau, 40, to clean tanks that had not been declared gas-free. Despite knowing the dangers, he allowed the use of a modified self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) for the task. Chau fell unconscious due to exposure to volatile hydrocarbons and later died, prompting an investigation.
Manh was the last of three Vietnamese men involved in the case to face legal consequences. Earlier, the vessel’s captain, Nguyen Duc Nghi, received a one-year and two-month sentence for obstructing justice by instructing crew members to mislead authorities about the incident. Another crew member, Le Thanh Dung, was sentenced to three months and two weeks for modifying the SCBA masks, which he knew were unsafe.
The incident occurred on May 14, 2024, after the tanker had transported naphtha gas from Thailand. Manh failed to perform necessary safety checks before allowing the crew to enter the tanks. Following Chau’s death, Manh lied to investigators about the circumstances, delaying crucial evidence collection. He was arrested in May 2025, highlighting serious lapses in safety protocols within the maritime industry.
