Singapore: GT Win tanker death captain jailed
The Singapore tanker death case involving the Vietnam-registered chemical tanker GT Win resulted in a 14-month jail sentence for its former captain on 10 February 2025. The fatal incident occurred in May 2024 while the vessel was at anchorage off Singapore after unloading naphtha cargo from Thailand. A 40-year-old seafarer, Hoang Van Chau, lost consciousness inside a cargo tank and later died from exposure to toxic hydrocarbons. Instead of reporting the truth, captain Nguyen Duc Nghi instructed his crew to mislead investigators.
Unsafe tank entry and false statements
Court records show the chief officer ordered crew members to clean tanks that had not been declared gas-free, without proper oxygen checks or required safety procedures. The pump master modified self-contained breathing apparatus masks, linking them to air bottles on deck due to space constraints. On 14 May 2024, Chau collapsed and was pronounced dead at Marina South Pier at 10.40pm.
After the accident, the captain allegedly threw the altered mask overboard and told the crew to claim the tank was gas-free so the family could receive insurance compensation. Crew members later revealed the truth, leading to his arrest on 15 May 2024. The pump master was sentenced in July 2025 to three months and two weeks’ jail, while the chief officer remains under trial before Singapore courts.
For a more detailed analysis of this case, read this full report by The Straits Times here:
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