The 100,000-tonne vessels were on a collision course and it seemed a crash was inevitable.
However, as onlookers watched, the captain of the oil tanker ordered full steam ahead and steered to safety.
The near miss happened in the Strait of Malacca, just off Singapore.
Ship expert Robert Almeida said: ‘It’s the crossroads of the maritime transportation world. I have no doubt whomever was driving was wishing they had given a bit more room.’
The International Chamber of Shipping recently called on the governments of Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore to improve navigation safety following an investigation into accident reports in the strait.
Over 50,000 vessels a year transit this international waterway, one of the most important shipping lanes in the world.
The strait links the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean and is used by ships carrying one-quarter of the world’s traded goods.
