CRUDE oil was spilled off Singapore's south-eastern coast after two ships collided on Tuesday, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore said in an e-mailed statement.
The MT Bunga Kelana 3 tanker collided with the MV Waily bulk carrier at about 6.10am in the Singapore Strait, 13km south-east of Changi East, the statement said.
'There were no report of injury to crew members. However, MT Bunga Kelana 3 suffered damage to one of its cargo tanks, resulting in an oil spill. The Master of MT Bunga Kelana 3 estimated that 2,000 tonnes of crude oil could have spilled into the sea,' the statement said.
It added that the MPA 'immediately dispatched four patrol and emergency response craft to the affected area. MPA also activated oil spill response companies which have deployed three craft equipped with oil spill equipment'.
'Both vessels are currently anchored in the Singapore Strait,' the statement said. 'Work is ongoing to contain and clean up the oil spill.'
The statement also said that traffic in the Singapore Strait remains unaffected. The Malaysian and Indonesian authorities were also informed of the incident.
Reuters reported Malaysian coast guard officials saying that the Bunga Kelana tanker had a 10m tear in its left side, which resulted in the spill.
