Vietnam Authorities Blame Watchkeeper for Fishermen's Deaths

Vietnamese authorities have concluded that a collision between a Singaporean container ship and a local fishing boat that killed eight people in September, 2013, was caused by the negligence of the ship’s second mate, reports Thanhnien News.

After announcing its findings, the Vietnam Maritime Administration handed them over to police in the southern province of Ba Ria – Vung Tau, where the accident took place, for further investigation.

On September 16, 2013, Sima Sapphire collided with the boat with 16 fishermen on board, which sank some 54 nautical miles off the coast of Vung Tau. The crew managed to rescue 8 of them but the others were lost. After the accident the ship was held for investigations but was released later, while its Ukrainian master Koba Mykola and the second mate, identified as Sergiy Plakida, 33, have been prohibited from leaving Vung Tau.

According to Thanhnien News, Sima Sapphire’s owners paid US$260,000 to the fishing boat’s owner, $13,000-19,000 to each dead man's family, and $4,000 to each survivor.

Source: Thanhnien News, Vietnam