Singapore tugboat sinks off coast, 11 crew missing

Fantagf SG

AP - Thursday, January 7

SINGAPORE – Singapore's port authority says rescuers are searching for 11 missing crewmen after a tugboat sank off the coast of the city-state.

The Maritime and Port Authority says the Singapore-registered Ocean Lark went down early Wednesday off Pedra Branca island, 34 miles (54 kilometers) east of the city.

It says two of the boat's 13 crew members were rescued by another ship and the air force and navy are searching for the other 11.

The port authority did not immediately say why the boat sank.

Fantagf SG

OMG, just beginning of the year we received such news.

Hope the rest of the year, we will have lesser mishap, disasters compared to 2009.

QX179R SG

Three more bodies recovered from capsized tugboat

SINGAPORE: Rescuers searching for victims of capsized tugboat "Ocean Lark" recovered three more bodies on Friday.

This brings to seven, the number of bodies recovered from the vessel which capsized off Pedra Branca on Wednesday morning.

Search efforts by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF), Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) and commercial vessels for another four missing persons are continuing.

The Singapore-registered tugboat had an Indonesian crew of 13 on board when the vessel left Batam, Indonesia.

The "Ocean Lark" was headed to Matak, Indonesia when it capsized and two crew members were rescued by a passing Singapore supply vessel some 16 nautical miles east of Horsburgh Lighthouse.

- CNA/sf

QX179R SG

Search for missing crew continues

The search is still continuing for the four missing crew members of the Singapore-registered tugboat which sank off Pedra Branca early Wednesday morning.

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore says diving operations were hampered by bad weather conditions today.

It added that MPA will continue to inform all vessels passing the vicinity of the incident site to keep a lookout for the missing persons.

Seven bodies have been recovered.

Two seamen were found alive about 5 hours after the boat sunk.

All crew members are Indonesians.

The tugboat, called 'Ocean Lark' had left Batam, Indonesia and was headed to Matak, Indonesia, when the incident happened.

--938Live