The case of the capsized tugboat in China’s Yangtze River came to a tragic conclusion when it was confirmed last Saturday that 22 bodies have been recovered from the site, including two Singaporean personnel.
The JMS Delta, a newly built Singapore-registered tugboat, was out on a trial run last Thursday afternoon with 25 crewman on board when the vessel quickly sank into the cold waters of Fubei Channel, located near Jingjiang City. Only three men were rescued.
Local marine and offshore engineering company Sembcorp Marine reported that three of their subsidiary’s employees were among the deceased, namely 53-year-old assistant manager Baginda Ali Bin Zainul Abidin, 41-year-old chief engineer Aif Rifadi and 27-year-old operations executive Bernard Chung Wai Kian. Both Baginda and Chung are Singaporeans, while Rifadi is an Indonesian national.
Various media reports point out that there were two other Singaporeans on board the tugboat, but they have not been identified as of writing.
Meanwhile, Malaysia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs have confirmed the death of one of their citizens Cheong Kin Chin, and are arranging for his body to be sent home.
Photo: AFP
