Boat accident: Ship's records yet to be examined

KOCHI: The Mercantile Marine Department (MMD) has sought the permission of the Kerala High Court to examine the data and other records seized from the Panama-registered MV Amber L, which is in the dock over allegedly ramming a fishing boat off Kochi coast on Sunday that resulted in the death of two fishermen. The High Court on Monday had directed the Director General of Shipping /Mercantile Marine Department to take safe custody of the original official log book, voyage data recorder, original log abstract, night order book and bell book and the original GPS log & navigation chart for the voyage, of the ship MV Amber L.

Based on the order, inquiry officers of the MMD, Directorate General of Shipping (DGS) inspected the ship till midnight on Monday and took safe custody of the records. Officials from the Coastal Police, Coast Guard, Customs, Immigration and Cochin Port Trust were present during the inspection, apart from a representative from the P&I (Protection and indemnity ) Club and a lawyer representing the owners of the ship and crew members. The officials are trying to ascertain whether the same ship had hit the fishing boat Carmel Matha since the crew was reportedly pleading that they were unaware of any such collision.

Forensic examination of the navigation records will be crucial in confirming whether it was the same ship that hit Carmel Matha. It is learnt that a detailed report will be submitted to the DGS after the examination and the Coastal Police will be able to take action based on this. It is said that the ship was controlled by the second officer at the time of the collision which only the examination of the records and further investigation would confirm. Meanwhile, the search for the missing fishermen from Assam, Motti Das, continued on Tuesday while the body of Rahul Das was taken by air to Guwahati from Nedumbassery in the morning.