SINGAPORE – The chief officer on a chemical tanker that was berthed in Singapore told four men to clean tanks that had not been checked and declared gas-free, resulting in the death of one of them from exposure to volatile hydrocarbons.
Dao Tien Manh had also directed and allowed the use of a modified self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) for the task despite knowing that this was dangerous.
Following the tragedy, he lied to the authorities on two occasions, resulting in the omission of investigations.
On May 19, Manh, 32, was sentenced to two years and nine months’ jail after he pleaded guilty to committing a rash act linked to the death of Mr Hoang Van Chau, 40, a Vietnamese seaman on board the vessel GT Win.
Manh had also admitted to one count of giving false information to a public servant.
Mr Chau had fallen unconscious in a tank that had been used to transport naphtha gas, and died from exposure to volatile hydrocarbons. Naphtha is commonly used as a solvent and sometimes as fuel for camp stoves. Exposure to naphtha can cause headaches, dizziness, nausea and vomiting.
Manh was the last of three Vietnamese men involved in the case to be dealt with in court.
In February, Nguyen Duc Nghi, then 50, who was the captain of the Vietnam-registered GT Win at the time of the incident, was sentenced to a year and two months’ jail for performing an act that could obstruct the course of justice. He had told his crew to lie to the authorities about the circumstances leading to Mr Chau’s death.
Another man, Le Thanh Dung, then 36, who was a pump master on the tanker, was sentenced to three months and two weeks’ jail in July 2025. He had modified two SCBA masks despite knowing that they were unsafe to use when cleaning the tanks.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Joseph Gwee told the court that GT Win had sailed from Thailand to Singapore in May 2024 with tanks of naphtha gas as cargo.
