Police said there seemed to be no suspicious circumstances surrounding the death of a tanker captain in waters off Bermuda.

An autopsy is due to be performed on the body of the 60-year-old Belgian, who complained of chest pains and then collapsed while his chemical tanker, the 26,000 tonne Camar, was 180 miles west-northwest of the Island.

Members of the crew, who are mostly from the Philippines, were interviewed by Police when they boarded the ship on Monday morning. "It's been a pretty trying couple of days for the crew," said Meyer Agencies spokesman Capt. John Moore.

The ship, registered in Panama, was travelling without cargo from New Haven, Connecticut to St. Croix in the US Virgin Islands when the tragedy struck. The tanker is due to leave Bermuda today following the arrival of a replacement captain from Europe last night.