Indonesia-flagged barge runs aground near Sentosa, towed to anchorage for checks
A container barge ran aground near Tanjong Beach in Sentosa on 6 June 2025 but has since been safely moved to anchorage, according to the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA). No injuries or oil pollution were reported.
- Marco Polo 802, an Indonesia-flagged container barge, ran aground near Tanjong Beach, Sentosa, on 6 June 2025.
- The vessel has since been towed to anchorage for inspection and investigation.
- No injuries or oil pollution were reported; the beach remains open.
- The incident damaged part of Sentosa’s floating security barriers; Police Coast Guard is handling repairs and stepped up patrols.
- Comes after other recent maritime issues near Sentosa, including a diesel leak in February 2025 and a major oil spill in June 2024.
SINGAPORE – A container barge that ran aground off Tanjong Beach, Sentosa, on the morning of 6 June 2025 has been towed to anchorage for inspection and investigation, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) said.
The vessel, identified as Marco Polo 802, is Indonesia-flagged and had been scheduled to arrive at a Singapore terminal at 10am, according to shipping schedules on the Maersk website.
No injuries or pollution reported
Authorities confirmed there were no reports of injuries or oil spillage linked to the grounding.
The barge remained stable throughout the incident, and navigational safety was not affected.
In a Facebook update at 1.09pm, MPA added that part of the floating security barriers off Sentosa had been damaged. The Police Coast Guard has since stepped in to assess and repair the barriers, while also stepping up patrols in the vicinity.
Sentosa confirmed in a separate statement that the beach remains open and that there was no environmental impact.
Incident captured on video
Eco-tour agency Kayakasia posted a video of the incident on Facebook at about 7.30am, showing the grounded barge blocking the lagoon and damaging sea barriers.
The clip has since been circulated online, sparking public interest and concern about repeated maritime mishaps around the island.
Part of a series of recent incidents
The grounding marks the latest in a string of maritime incidents near Sentosa in the past year.
-
On 5 February 2025, a diesel leak from the Police Coast Guard’s Brani Regional Base created oil patches in waters off Sentosa. While none reached the beaches, absorbent and deflective booms were deployed at Tanjong, Palawan, and Siloso beaches.
-
In June 2024, a collision at Pasir Panjang Terminal caused Singapore’s worst oil spill in a decade. Cleanup efforts forced the closure of Sentosa’s three main beaches for almost three months.
MPA has not yet released details of what caused the Marco Polo 802 to run aground. Investigations are ongoing.
