MPA Charges Hafnia Nile Crew Members for 2024 Tanker Collision

MPA Charges Hafnia Nile Crew Members for 2024 Tanker Collision
Nandika Chand - July 3, 2025 https://seanews.co.uk/maritime/mpa-charges-hafnia-nile-crew-members-for-...

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) has charged two crew members of Hafnia Nile, an oil tanker, for the fatal 2024 collision with Ceres I. The incident occurred on the morning of July 19, 2024, when the Singapore-registered Hafnia Nile collided with Ceres I, registered with the Democratic Republic of Sao Tome and Principe, within Singapore’s maritime search and rescue region – about 55 km northeast of Pedra Branca.

The two crew members – Indian national Soosai Antony Vainer and a Sri Lankan Wickramage Viraj Amila Shavinda Perera – were charged under the Merchant Shipping Act. Perera, 40, was the officer in charge of the navigational watch on the Hafnia Nile. According to Singapore media reports, he allegedly failed to make a full appraisal of the situation and the risk of dangers to navigation, maintain situational awareness of the area around the Hafnia Nile and ensure that a proper lookout was maintained.

Vainer, as per the court documents, was the duty lookout of the navigational watch on the Hafnia Nile at that time. He is alleged to have observed that the vessel was approaching close to Ceres I, but failed to report it to the officer-in-charge of the navigational watch. Vainer allegedly steered the Hafnia Nile when he wasn’t directed to do so, and failed to keep a proper lookout, resulting in the collision.

The collision led to the death of a man and left another severely injured. At the time of the incident, MPA had stated that 26 of the 40 crew members on one of the vessels – Ceres I – remained on board to fight the fire aboard their vessel, while the 22-member crew of Hafnia Nile were rescued and taken for medical screening, wherein two members required medical examination.

Hafnia, the world’s largest tanker company, is the operator of the Singapore-registered Hafnia Nile. It said the company and the crew of Hafnia Nile fully cooperated with MPA and other authorities during the investigations into the incident.