A firm specializing in satellite imagery analysis of tanker movements reported on X early Friday that two oil tankers collided in one of the world’s busiest waterways east of Singapore, sparking fires on both vessels.

TankerTrackers said (AIS) data, which broadcasts vessel coordinates to track vessel movements and support maritime safety, shows the “Oil-laden Panamax-sized tanker HAFNIA NILE (9766217) had knocked into the starboard bow of the empty dark fleet VLCC called CERES I (9229439).” 

The collision between Hafnia Nile, a Singapore-flagged refined-products tanker, and Ceres I, a crude oil tanker sailing under the flag of Sao Tome & Principe, occurred “in the international waters of the Riau archipelago this morning,” TankerTrackers explained, adding that Hafnia Nile hit Ceres I at a speed of around 14.2 knots at the time of the incident.

Based on our readings of the AIS data, the oil laden Panamax-sized tanker HAFNIA NILE (9766217) had knocked into the starboard bow of the empty dark fleet VLCC called CERES I (9229439) at 14.2kn speed in the international waters of the Riau archipelago this morning. Both tankers… pic.twitter.com/x5d4aMU000

— TankerTrackers.com, Inc. (@TankerTrackers) July 19, 2024

Bloomberg’s Javier Blas posted an image on X showing one of the vessels ablaze. He said Ceres 1 is a “dark fleet tanker usually involved in Iranian / Venezuelan trade.”

Two oil tankers near Singapore are on fire.

Panamax-sized products carrier Hafnia Nile (9766217) and VLCC Ceres I (9229439) collided on Friday. The later is a ‘dark fleet’ tanker usually involved in Iranian / Venezuelan trade.

Photo via Singapore Navy https://t.co/nzdxNdS9GT pic.twitter.com/k0cHcPyrLX

— Javier Blas (@JavierBlas) July 19, 2024

Here’s more footage of the incident area with both vessels on fire. 

The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency has activated a search operation to look for missing crewmen following the collision of two vessels in Johor.

“The vessels MT Hafnia Nile and MT Ceres 1 collided at 25 nautical miles northeast of Tanjung Balau,” says the MMEA.

🧵1 pic.twitter.com/vVjMuO3WoA

— BFM News (@NewsBFM) July 19, 2024

Bloomberg noted, “Dark fleet vessels have caused problems for Singapore before. A shadow-fleet oil tanker ran aground near Singapore in December, and earlier last year a ship called the Pablo exploded near Malaysia. Its burning wreckage sat for months off the country’s coastline.”  

A spokesperson for Gard, the world’s leading marine insurance firm, said Hafnia Nile is covered against collisions and spills but said no insurance within the industry-standard International Group of P&I Clubs was found for Ceres I.