Bodies of Two Sand Barge Crewmen Found

Bodies of two crewmen from a sand-carrier barge Oceanline SC208 which capsized and sank off Singapore on May 20 have been found, with twelve men still missing, Malaysia’s The Sun Daily reports.

The body of a 23-year-old Malaysian national Raja Mohammad Firdaus Raja Ikram was found by a search and rescue team some 14 nautical miles from the location of the capsizing on May 22.

The body of the second unidentified man was recovered by fishermen in the Johor Sea on May 23, close to the location where the barge sank, according to Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA).

As World Maritime News previously reported, at around 10 am local time May 20, the Maritime Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) received a report that a Bolivian-registered sand-carrier, Oceanline SC208, had capsized 7.5 nautical miles north-east of Pedra Branca in Singapore waters.

According to the vessel’s agent, there were 15 crew members on board at the time of the incident. One Chinese national had been rescued by the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency on May 20. The twelve crew members still unaccounted for are all Chinese nationals.

Malaysian and Singaporean naval agencies are still searching for the remaining missing men.

World Maritime News Staff