Containership sinks off Batam, Indonesia; all on board rescued

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) has confirmed that a foreign-flagged container vessel sank about six kilometres off Batam Island in Indonesia on Friday, June 5.

The incident occurred at around 21:30 local time on Friday when the Tanzania-registered feeder ship Golden Star 1 began taking on water. The vessel eventually sank and all nine of her crew were safely rescued by Indonesian authorities.

The MPA has been issuing navigational broadcasts advising vessels to exercise caution when transiting the area, and to report any sighting of containers adrift. Some of the container were found the following morning by personnel of the Indonesian Maritime Security Agency.