Video shows collision between Singapore passenger ferry and chemical tanker

En route between Indonesia’s Batam Island and Singapore’s HarbourFront Centre, Singapore-based Horizon Ferry’s fast catamaran ferry Horizon 9 struck chemical tanker LA Digue on 10 November at around 5 pm local time.

A video taken from inside Horizon 9 shows the moment the much smaller ferry, at less than 500 gt, struck the oceangoing, 50,300-dwt MR tanker. 

The ferry sustained damage to its bow, but no passengers were injured and all were safely evacuated, according to a statement from Singapore’s Maritime and Ports Authority (MPA). The tanker was reportedly undamaged by the collision.

The MPA said it ’immediately’ deployed a patrol craft to "escort and guide the ferry back to HarbourFront Centre", where all 172 passengers and crew were safely disembarked from Horizon 9 at the Regional Ferry Terminal.

"The ferry sustained some damage to its bow above the waterline but remained fully operational while en route back to Harbourfront Centre. The tanker, LA Digue, did not report any damage. 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," the MPA said.

The MPA said it is investigating the incident.

Both the tanker and the high-speed catamaran ferry were listed as moored, as of their last AIS transmissions; Horizon 9 showed a location of Keppel Shipyard.

The video below has been widely shared on social media and is believed to originate from the TikTok account of Tedi Arfandos, thought to be a passenger on board the ferry.