'Be careful, it's people's lives': Singapore-bound ferry with 165 passengers collides with tanker, no injuries reported
A Singapore-bound ferry with 165 passengers and 7 crew on board collided with a chemical tanker near the Southern Islands on Nov 10 at about 5pm.
In response to queries from Stomp, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) confirmed that the ferry, Horizon 9, was en route to HarbourFront Centre when it collided with the Marshall Islands-registered tanker, La Digue.
"All 165 passengers and 7 crew on board Horizon 9 were safely disembarked at the Regional Ferry Terminal at HarbourFront Centre," an MPA spokesperson said, noting that a patrol craft was deployed to guide the ferry back to the terminal.
"There were no reports of injury to passengers and crew, or pollution arising from the incident. There was also no impact to navigational traffic or port operations," said the spokesperson.
MPA added that while the ferry sustained damage to its bow, it remained fully operational. The tanker did not report any damage.
Authorities are investigating the incident.
Video of collision goes viral
A video of the incident, posted by @tedi.arfandos on TikTok, has since gone viral, garnering over 358,500 views and 400 comments as of press time.
The 47-second clip captures the moment of collision, as the tanker passes dangerously close to the front of the ferry.
The impact jolts passengers forward, as they hold on to the seats in front of them. Screams can be heard as phones are whipped out to film the incident, while staff members demonstrate how to put on life vests.
The TikToker also includes a shop of the damaged ferry, showing parts of the bow that are visibly bent. In the comments section, a photo of the damaged bow was also posted by @colin.
"The fear we went through the moment we knew that the ferry was going to hit the vessel, just don't know which part of it as the ferry was trying to make a turn away, and the impact on it too," one commenter said.
Netizens speculated that the collision might have been caused by technical issues or human error, while others blamed the ferry's captain.
"Be careful, don't be careless, it's a big responsibility that humans carry. It's people's lives," one commenter chided. Others expressed gratitude that there were no casualties, while some urged tighter checks to prevent further incidents.
Stomp has reached out to tedi.arfandos and colin for comment.
