The Union of the Comoros-flagged ship Lady Belinda sank in the Soai Rap River Monday after crashing into a bridge

Ho Chi Minh City’s Sea Traffic Police Department has recommended pressing criminal charges against those responsible for an incident in which a foreign ship crashed into a city bridge last week.

It is very likely that criminal charges will be pressed against individuals and agencies related the collision between the Lady Belinda and the Muong Chuoi Bridge in Nha Be District, said Tran Van Xinh, head of the sea traffic department.

The traffic police have asked local investigators to look into a case.

Compensation for damages will also be calculated, Xinh said, adding that all case records had been transferred to police investigators.

According to case files, the Union of the Comoros-flagged ship came to HCMC in May 2008 and has faced many problems since.

It has been distrained and had crashed into a local barge and another ship before the bridge accident.

The supervisor of the Binh Khanh Barge, which the Lady Belinda crashed into last month, asked for compensation of more than VND100 million from the ship’s owners.

The ship sank on the Soai Rap River on Monday due to a hole caused by the last week’s collision and spilled over 3,000 tons of oil into the water.

The 25,000-ton ship won’t be fished out until approval is given by the Vietnam Maritime Administration and the Ho Chi Minh City Inland Waterway Port Authority, said Nguyen Xuan Sam, head of the rescue team from oil spill response and rescue services company Dai Minh.

In related news, the central province of Khanh Hoa has found 11 ships anchored at local sea ports for long periods of time without receiving proper care and maintenance.

The ships don’t have enough crew members on board or sufficient fuel supplies, said Tran Duc Thi, head of inspectorate at the Nha Trang Port Authority. Safety equipment has also been neglected on board the boats, he said, adding that the crews also hadn’t been paid for many months.

Thi said the dilapidated ships were dangerous and that the negligence was probably caused by financial problems facing the ship owners. He said the ships would be unable to make it to safe areas in time if they were caught out at sea during storms.

The Nha Trang Port Authority has asked provincial authorities and related agencies to take “strict actions against” the ship owners. Two ships will be forced to leave the ports on Thursday, Thi said.

Source: Thanh Nien, Tuoi Tre