On July 19, 2024, the Singapore-registered oil and chemical tanker Hafnia Nile collided with the anchored tanker Ceres I while navigating at 14 knots in waters east of Malaysia. The incident occurred around 6:02 AM local time, resulting in significant fires aboard both vessels and extensive structural damage.
An investigation concluded in December revealed that the Hafnia Nile’s second mate had only two hours of rest in the 38.5 hours leading up to the collision. After an overnight journey from Colombo, Sri Lanka, and a transit through Kuala Lumpur, he boarded the ship in Singapore at noon. Immediately upon arrival, he engaged in port activities while the vessel was anchored, which contributed to his fatigue.
The report indicated that the second mate likely experienced exhaustion due to his overnight travel, the demands of his role upon joining, and disrupted rest before taking the midnight watch. During the incident, he left the wheelhouse to prepare non-urgent reports in the chartroom, which was separated from the bridge by a curtain, leaving an able seafarer alone at the controls.
Additionally, critical safety equipment was compromised; the S-band radar alarms were silenced, and the X-band radar alarms were deactivated, eliminating essential safeguards for early collision detection.
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