1992 Royal Pacific collision later confirmed to have killed 30
The cruise ship was struck by a fishing trawler in the Straits of Malacca while carrying more than 500 passengers.
On Aug. 23, 1992, Royal Pacific was sailing at night along the Malaysian coast with more than 500 passengers when it collided with a fishing trawler in the Straits of Malacca, according to contemporary news reports. The ship had departed Singapore days earlier for a two-day cruise without a scheduled destination.
One contemporary account said the Taiwanese fishing vessel rammed Royal Pacific while most passengers were asleep, opening a hole measuring about six feet in the cruise ship. Reports at the time recorded four deaths, 70 injuries and 26 people missing after the collision.
The Company of Master Mariners of Australia, citing Australian Maritime History, said the confirmed death toll was later established at 30. The organization said the fatalities were most likely connected to the crew’s decision to leave the vessel before passengers.
According to the maritime association, the vessel entered service in January 1964 as Empress of Australia, a vehicle ferry operating initially between Sydney and Tasmania. It was subsequently sold to Cyprus-based owners, extensively refitted and converted into the cruise ship Royal Pacific.