Update: Four Bodies from Sunken Sand Barge Recovered
Bodies of four crewmen from a sand-carrier barge Oceanline SC208 which capsized and sank off Singapore on May 20 have been found, with ten men still missing, according to Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA)
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, said MMEA.
The bodies of another two Chinese nationals were found on Sunday and on Monday.
The search operations were hampered by rough seas and bad weather, with MMEA pulling out its divers due to strong currents at around 3:30 pm local time Monday. One ship, four boats and a total of 28 divers were involved in the search operations.
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 ten 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
