Navy officer blamed for ship collision

Navy officer blamed for ship collision

SINGAPORE: A naval officer was responsible for a collision three months ago between a Singapore patrol vessel and a container ship that left four servicewomen dead, an official investigator said on Friday.

Lt. Ng Keng Yong made "errors of judgement" that led the anti- submarine patrol vessel RSS Courageous into the path of the Dutch-owned ANL Indonesia on Jan. 3, investigators from the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) said.

A trainee officer of the watch, Lt. Chua Chue Teng, was in control of the vessel at the time of the collision but was under the direct supervision of Ng, who approved the trainee's instructions to change course.

As the two vessels headed towards each other in the eastern Singapore Straits near Pedra Branca Island, the trainee ordered the 452-ton RSS Courageous to change course to port, or the left side. -- AFP