THE MANAGERS of a Thai supertanker involved in a collision with the Cypriot- registered Evoikos, yesterday blamed the latter for Wednesday’s environmentally disastrous accident off Singapore.
A spokesman for the owners of the Evoikos in London declined to respond to the charge from Denholm Ship Management, Reuters said.
The Evoikos spilled 25,000 tonnes of marine fuel from its cargo of 120, 000 tons after it collided with the Thai-registered Orapin Global.
Insurance experts said yesterday the catastrophe could cost up to $100 million to cover damage to vessels, cargo and the environment.
“Formal inquiries will be undertaken and we would not want to comment outside of that process. We are concentrating our efforts entirely on the clean up,” the Evoikos spokesman said.
But Denholm said in a statement from Hong Kong that the empty supertanker was on the correct course through the congested Strait which links the Strait of Malacca and the South China Sea.
“At the time of the incident it was heading west with other traffic in the correct westbound lane as prescribed in international regulations,” the statement said. “The tanker Evoikos had been proceeding east in the eastbound traffic lane and instead of altering course… cut across the westbound lane at a narrow angle.”
Singapore officials said both ships were told they were on a collision course six minutes before they struck each other.
The warning had been acknowledged by radio officers on both ships.
The supertanker suffered only superficial damage but the Evoikos was ripped apart on its port side with a gash that extended five metres below the water line.
Yesterday boats and helicopters were still trying to disperse the spill.
At least 34 boats were tackling the spill in keeping the oil away for Singapore’s main island.
Oil has reportedly blackened beaches on several small islands and environmentalists fear for marine life, not only from the oil but also the detergents being sprayed to disperse the spill.
“How far the slicks travel will depend on the currents winds and tides,” said marine biologist Tan Koh Siang from the National University of Singapore.
But environmental experts praised the speed at which the Singapore authorities moved to contain the spill.
The Evoikos was registered under the Cyprus flag only last year, a Cyprus Shipping Department spokesman said on Thursday. It is owned by the Zebra- Sky company and had been chartered by the Greek trading firm Metro Trading International.
