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A cargo ship carrying around 560 metric tonnes of marine fuel which sank off the coast of Indonesia on Wednesday has so far not leaked any bunker product into open waters, according to the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA).

On December 16th, at 20:14 hours (Singapore time), Cayman Islands-registered chemical tanker Stolt Commitment and freighter Thorco Cloud [pictured], bearing the Antigua and Barbuda flag, collided in the eastbound lane of the Traffic Separation Scheme (TSS) in the Singapore Strait. The incident is reported to have taken place in Indonesian waters 6 nautical miles (11 kilometres) north-west of Batam.

"The chemical tanker sustained minor damage and is in stable condition," the MPA confirmed in a statement.

The MPA also stated that it deployed two patrol craft for search and rescue operations. Singapore's Police Coast Guard (PCG) also deployed five boats, and rescued five of the 12 freighter crew members. A sixth was rescued by the chemical tanker. The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) dispatched two vessels to assist in the search and rescue efforts, and transported the six rescued crew members to Singapore General Hospital.

Indonesian authorities have also been involved in the search and rescue operations. The MPA says it has been assisting them to survey and mark the sunken freighter to ensure navigational safety.

The MPA has also issued navigational broadcasts to vessels in the vicinity to keep clear of the area and to report any sightings of the missing crew members.

The MPA added: "There is no disruption to shipping traffic in the Singapore Strait. While there are currently no reports of any oil spill, [the] MPA has also put on standby anti-pollution craft."

Image: The freighter vessel Thorco Cloud, which sank off the coast of Indonesia on December 16th, 2015.