Ferry disaster survivors describe chaos and panic

Yahoo – AFP, Ljubomir Milasin, 30 Dec 2014

A survivor of the Norman Atlantic hugs her children after arriving at the
 Elefsina military airport in Athens on December 29, 2014 (AFP)

Survivors of the Norman Atlantic ferry disaster described chaos, panic, and anger as they sought to escape the vessel after it burst into flames in stormy weather Sunday.

"It was panic because there were over 400 of us who were all supposed to use the same emergency exit," Greek passenger Urania Thireou told AFP at a hotel in the Italian port city of Brindisi, after waiting 23 hours on the burning ship to be rescued.

"There were crew members around, but even they were panicked (because) it was impossible to organise so many people," Thireou said.

A photo grab from a video by the Marina

 Militare Italiana on December 29, 2014,

shows the rescue operation of passengers

by helicopter from the Norman Atlantic,

adrift in the Adriatic Sea off Albania

She said her own salvation came from feeling "anger that gave me the force to stay alive."

French passenger Philippe Moyses gave an equally emotional account of "terror" amid the disaster, during which he "looked death in the face" in a way that has deeply marked him.

"This morning I got up (after) sleeping like a log, I sat on the edge of the bed, and... I just started crying," Moyses, a 62-year-old resident of Bordeaux, said from his hotel after being among the last passengers lifted by helicopter from the burning ferry.

Thireou said the lack of coordination aboard in responding in the emergency early on was the most critical failing in the catastrophe, which as of Tuesday afternoon had claimed a provisional total of 13 lives.

"At the start, there were people who got into the biggest lifeboat," she told AFP of the amorphous rushing of passengers. "They got it into the water, but we were told afterwards that they were not rescued."

Despite that news and the bleak situation aboard the Norman Atlantic, Thireou says she quickly focused all her energy and emotions on surviving the calamity.

"I wasn't scared of dying then, (and) I understood that I had to remain positive," Thireou says.

"I was also angry, and this anger kept me alive (and) gave me strength, though I lost that courage when night fell."

Look death in the face

Moyses similarly described an atmosphere of growing dread as passengers counted hours ticking by during the long and laborious rescue operation.

"There were 30 men left to evacuate at the end," the Frenchman recalled. "There were flames under the floorboards. I nearly passed out, and they lifted me out by helicopter.

Rescued passenger of the Norman Atlantic 

accident Marko Gondolo, 40, holds his

 daughter Serafina, 5, at the airport in 

Elefsina, Greece, on December 29, 2014

"I'm completely emptied -- it was terrible. But it was when only 30 of us were left that we looked death in the face and said, 'That's it, we're going to make it out of this'," Moyses said, his eyes becoming moist with emotion again.

Moyses, one of ten French passengers on the ferry, paid tribute to the Italian military helicopter pilots who performed rescue flights in the midst of a violent storm, often at night, and at times as heavy black smoke billowed around the ship.

Thireou was also quick to thank rescuers, authorities involved, and in particular "the truck drivers aboard who tried several times, black with smoke, to hook the rescue tug's cable to the ferry."

Two Albanian sailors died when one of those cables snapped during rescue operations.

Wearing Red Cross-supplied slippers because all his luggage was lost in the ferry fire, Moyses said moves were afoot to get him outfitted again.

"I'm going with the (French) ambassador to buy shoes," he said, leaving his hotel to meet with diplomats who have assisted French nationals as they were brought from the ferry back to land.

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Albanian sailors killed during ferry rescue operation

Burning ferry to be towed to Italy as rescue airlifts continue

Safety standards on passenger ships

Albanian sailors killed during ferry rescue operation

Two Albanian sailors have died during efforts to tow a wrecked Greek ferry that has been adrift on the Adriatic Sea since a fire broke out on board. The official death toll from the disaster has reached 12.

Deutsche Welle, 30 Dec 2014

Police said the sailors were on a tugboat when they were reportedly hit by a rope they had attached to the charred Norman Atlantic ferry near the Albanian port of Vlore on Tuesday.

"One man died on the spot when one cable broke after it got stuck in the propeller. The other died on board a few minutes ago when being assisted by a helicopter medical team," a port authority official told Reuters.

The crippled ferry has been drifting in the Adriatic Sea since one of its car decks caught fire near the Greek island of Corfu on Sunday. The official death toll from the disaster now stands at 12.

Dutch company Smit Salvage is overseeing the operations to secure the ferry after 427 people, including 56 crew, were safely evacuated during a 36-hour rescue

mission that ended on Monday.

Martijn Schuttevaer, a spokesman for Smit's parent company Royal Boskalis Smit, said one line had been successfully connected to the ship early Tuesday, and that the priority was to get a heavier tow line attached. It was not clear if that was the operation underway when the Albanian sailors were struck.

‘Still smoke' on board

The Italian-flagged Norman Atlantic, chartered by Greek ferry operator ANEK Lines, was sailing from Patras in western Greece to Ancona in Italy when the blaze broke out on board.

According to Schuttevaer, crews were still patrolling the vessel to put out any remaining fire.

"There is still smoke," he said.

Meanwhile, authorities say discrepancies in the ferry's passenger list of 478 people are making it difficult to know how many individuals were on board, or how many of them, if any, are still missing.

Italian Transport Minister Maurizio Lupi said it was possible there were illegal migrants on board, and added that authorities were looking for a definitive list of passengers to cross-check it with the names of survivors.

Italian and Albanian magistrates ordered that the ship be seized in order to investigate the cause of the fire, which is still unknown, and magistrates in both countries are deciding together where the vessel should be towed, Italy's Transport Ministry said in a statement.

nm/es (Reuters, AP, dpa)

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Safety standards on passenger ships

Safety standards on passenger ships

Passenger ships are monitored regularly following international standards for the safety of passengers and crew. Minimum standards were put in place more than a century ago, after the sinking of the Titanic.

Deutsche Welle, 29 Dec 2014

When was the first convention for the safety at sea created?

The first convention originated in the wake of the sinking of the RMS Titanic in 1912. An international conference was called in November 1913, aimed at creating international minimum standards for the safety at sea. A first version of the "International Treaty for the Safety of Life at Sea" (SOLAS) was compiled, and has since been repeatedly updated. The London-based International Maritime Organization (IMO) has held responsibility for the treaty since 1960; currently a 1974 version is in place. The IMO depends on mutual decisions by its members, so change often takes quite some time. The most recent amendment entered into force on January 1, 2013.

How are safety regulations monitored?

In 1993, the IMO adopted the International Management Code for the Safe Operations of Ships and for Pollution Prevention (ISM Code). The code defines what needs to be done to guarantee safe operation of a ship. Every ship owner and operator commits to compiling a set of documents known as the Safety Management System (SMS). They are bound to enforce the regulations, and check compliance. As a rule, the state under whose flag the vessel sails authorizes a recognized Classification Society to survey compliance. The Adria Norman Atlantic, which caught fire on Sunday morning, was last inspected five months ago.

When does inspection begin, and what doe monitors check?

The burning Ferry was finally evacuated

Inspection begins with the construction of the ship. The Classification Society checks building materials and components, and watches over the construction the on the wharf. Once the vessel is finished, the rescue and safety technology is tested. After the ship has been cleared, the Classification Society checks it on an annual basis. The state of the ship is thus constantly documented.

What happens after the inspection?

Port State Control gives a ship that meets all the requirements a class "A" document. If there are defects, they are noted in the inspection report along with the measures needed to correct the problems. Finally, the ship's data and the inspection report findings are transmitted to a central electronic data bank in Lisbon. If a ship does not meet the safety requirements, local authorities have the right to prevent it from leaving port. After the cruise liner Costa Concordia ran aground on rocks, numerous major shipping companies committed to stricter self inspection and higher safety standards.

How are safety standards ranked among various states that have ships sailing under their flag?

The Costa Concordia, shipwrecked
off the Italian coast

The Paris Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Port State Control takes care of that. It was created at France's initiative after the oil tanker Amoco Cadiz sank off the coast of Brittany in 1978. The memorandum has 27 signatories. Every year, the Paris MOU specifies the states' safety levels in "white", "grey" and "black" lists. According to the most recent list, published in July, France has the safest ships, followed by Norway, Sweden and Denmark. Germany ranks ninth. The poorest performing flags are the island nation of Dominica, Honduras and the United Republic of Tanzania.

How many passenger ships sank over the past years?

Insurers "Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty" document the loss of 90 passenger ships from 2001to 2012. They didn't all necessarily sink, however: the figure documents their final failure. Losses have dropped significantly in the past eight years. While more than ten ships were lost annually until 2006, that figure decreased to six ships that were written off every year over the past six years.

When a ship threatens to sink - on average, how long does it take to evacuate?

According to the SOLAS accord, lifeboats must be ready to be boarded and launched at the latest 30 minutes after the captain has given the appropriate signal. Within this time frame, they must also reach an acceptable safety distance from the ship in distress. Since 2002, cruise ships must be fully evacuated within 80 minutes. The Adria Norman Atlantic's disaster off the Greek coast shows, however, that this time frame is exceeded many times over if conditions are unfavorable.

Related Article:

Burning ferry to be towed to Italy as rescue airlifts continue

An Urgent Call for Reform in Indonesian Boat Safety

Deadly Waters: Despite the alarming number of fatalities from accidents at sea, no steps are being made to prevent further deaths

Jakarta Globe, Kennial Caroline Laia, Aug 03, 2014

Relatives go through a list of casualties from a boat accident in Panai Hilir, North
 Sumatra, one in a alarming string of similar incidents during the Idul Fitri week.
(EPA Photo/Adil Situmorang)

Jakarta. Urgent reform in the Indonesian maritime transportation system is needed after a recent string of fatal boat accidents, analysts say, adding that the incoming Joko Widodo-Jusuf Kalla government should make the issue a priority.

“Our sea transportation system needs an immediate fix. If the government continues to neglect it, boat accidents in our waters will happen again and again,” Suyono Dikun, transportation expert with the University of Indonesia, told the Jakarta Globe.

At least 50 people have died and dozens remain missing in four boat accidents that occurred in the past week across the archipelago. Officials have admitted that aside from rough waters, most of the incidents were caused by overcapacity.

A boat carrying at least 51 people sank in waters between South Sulawesi and Selayar Islands on Wednesday.

Seventeen people are now known to have died in the accident, which marks the end of a tragic week in the country’s maritime transportation system.

On July 28, the first day of this year’s Idul Fitri, two people died and two remain missing after a ferry sank in the Nabire district of Papua.

The following day, a ferry carrying some 70 travelers across a Kalimantan river sank, with the final death toll put at 18.

Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, a spokesman for the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB), told state-run Antara news agency on Wednesday that the boat had been carrying more than double its maximum capacity.

On Wednesday, a fishing boat sank in Berombang river, located in the Labuhan Batu district of North Sumatra, claiming 13 lives — 10 of whom were children.

Last week at least three people died after an overloaded boat ferrying Indonesians home for the coming Idul Fitri holiday sank off southern Malaysia.

Three bodies were recovered, 10 people were rescued and eight more remained missing in the incident. The boat — carrying 21 Indonesian undocumented migrant workers — capsized and sank in rough seas off Malaysia’s Johor state, said Iskandar Ishak, the local head of the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency, as quoted by AFP. Officials added that the boat had a capacity of just eight passengers.

Suyono blamed the government for the alarming number of disasters across Indonesian seas that could have been prevented, saying that state policies on safety in water transportation and their enforcement were far from sufficient to protect passengers.

Additionally, boat operators seem to lack concern over their customers’ safety, loading as many passengers as possible for profit, regardless of the vessel’s capacity.

“The government did not place transportation safety as a priority in its policy. Meanwhile, most Indonesian boat crews take safety precautions very lightly. For them, safety is a trivial factor in their business,” Suyono said. “Despite the accidents and resulting casualties, boat companies, their crew and the government have not done anything to improve the situation.”

He also pointed out that the Indonesian government has never allocated a special budget to improve the safety equipment on board boats and trains, nor are their employees trained on crucial, life-saving safety procedures.

“As far as money is concerned, I have never heard of the government distributing funds for any sort of safety features on boats,” Suyono said.

Danang Parikesit, former chairman of the Indonesian Transportation Society (MTI), said that sea transportation was more prone to accidents than other modes of travel, due largely to a lack of supervision from the government.

“State management and supervision is close to nonexistent. In the context of the country’s transportation system, safety equipment is not a priority, nor is the routine inspection of these equipment,” he said. “In addition, our evacuation procedures — which include the handling of victims — are far from meeting international standards. That is the main factor for the high number of casualties in boat accidents.

“This is beyond critical. MTI’s study in 2008 shows that compared to other countries in the world, our government has failed to pay attention toward the safety in the sea or river transportation,” he said.

Danang pointed out that the small amount of media coverage on boat accidents contributed to the public and the government’s low level of awareness concerning water transportation.

“The media rarely covers boat accidents. Most report only on large incidents, so many tragic occurrences actually go undetected by the public,” Danang said.

“The media should be more proactive in writing or reporting on stories related to water transportation in Indonesia in order to put more pressure on the government,” he added. “Even after all the horrific accidents that occurred these past two months, our officials are still not taking action.”

Meanwhile, Danang said, most boat operators continue operating despite having little to no understanding of the necessary safety features and procedures that may save passengers in case of an accident.

“Most of these companies don’t even equip their vessels with sufficient safety gear,” he said.

Despite the pressing need for improvement in safety standards and the skills of boat personnel, inaction, little concern and a lack of understanding continue to be a detrimental force between the two entities that have the power to change the increasingly alarming situation: the government and transportation operators.

“In the past five years, no significant steps have been made to prevent accidents at sea. No attention has been made to safety. There has been no improvement at all,” Danang said.

“I urge the new government to take the necessary steps in preventing further calamities at sea by not only tightening rules and regulations concerning water transportation, but also improving on the meager supply of safety equipment [on board vessels],” he added.

Both Suyono and Danang called on the incoming Joko-Kalla administration to prioritize sea transportation over other forms of travel, pointing to the fact that Indonesia is an archipelago.

“With thousands of islands separated by water, the transportation system in this sector should be placed at the government’s ‘to do’ list ,” said Danang.

Suyono hopes the president-elect will tackle the issue before more Indonesians fall victim to negligence at sea.

“The outgoing administration has failed in protecting its travelers. But this could be a lesson for the next government. They need to address the situation as soon as possible,” he said.

Captain says warnings over Korean ferry ignored

Yahoo – AFP, Park Chan-Kyong

A relative of a victims of the Sewol ferry disaster weeps before yellow

ribbons at Jindo harbour, on April 27, 2014 (AFP Photo/Ed Jones)

Seoul (AFP) - A probe into South Korea's ferry disaster has heard that warnings over the ship's seaworthiness were ignored, prosecutors said Wednesday, as rescuers worked to recover more than 90 people still missing two weeks after it sank.

The confirmed death toll from the accident stood at 210, with 92 unaccounted for, the coastguard said, with divers pushing deeper into the submerged vessel's interior in their search for bodies.

The recovery operation has stalled in recent days because of strong currents and debris blocking access to some of the cabin decks.

A handout picture taken on April 29, 2014

 showing President Park Geun-Hye paying

her respects in front of a memorial for

victims of ferry disaster (AFP Photo)

Prosecutors investigating the disaster on Tuesday questioned the regular captain of the 6,825-tonne Sewol, who was on leave when it capsized April 16 with 476 people on board -- most of them high school students.

Senior Prosecutor Yang Jong-Jin said the captain, identified only as Shin, told investigators that he had warned the shipping company of serious stability problems with the Sewol.

The Chonghaejin Marine Co. purchased the then-18 year old ferry from Japan in 2012 and refurbished it, building extra passenger cabins on the third, fourth and fifth decks.

Shin said the renovations altered the balance of the ship and undermined its anti-rolling ability.

When he advised the company about the problems, his warnings were brushed aside, he told investigators.

The precise cause of the accident is still under investigation, but experts have suggested a sharp turn may have caused its cargo to shift, and the ferry to list irretrievably to one side before capsizing.

Kim Han-Sik, the CEO of Chonghaejin Marine, was summoned to the prosecutors' office Tuesday in the port city of Incheon, from where the ill-fated ferry departed bound for Jeju island.

Kim, 71, issued a tearful apology for the "horrible tragedy" the day after the accident, saying he and other company officials were responsible for a "grave sin" in letting it happen.

In Shin's absence, the Sewol was skippered by captain Lee Joon-Seok, who is now under arrest along with 14 crew members.

The coastguard released a video earlier this week showing Lee scrambling to safety as hundreds of his passengers remained trapped inside the ferry.

Public disgust at the behaviour of the crew has been matched by the anger of the victims' relatives with the official response to the disaster.

President Park Geun-Hye apologised on Tuesday for her government's failure to combat systemic and regulatory "evils" that may have contributed to the accident and for the "insufficient first response."

A screen grab taken on April 28, 2014 showing the "Sewol's" captain Lee

Joon-Seok (centre R) being rescued on April 16, 2014 (AFP Photo)

But many of the victims' families rejected her apology, which was made during a meeting with her cabinet ministers.

"An apology made before several cabinet members behind closed doors cannot be considered an apology," said Yoo Gyeong-Geun, the spokesman for a group of around 100 families who issued a statement demanding a thorough probe into the rescue operation.

The tragedy has proved a challenge for Park, who has built a reputation for strong leadership since taking office just over a year ago, but is sometimes criticised for being aloof and domineering.

On Tuesday, Park visited a memorial to the young victims of the disaster in Ansan city, where the high school that had 325 students on board the Sewol is located.

She was heckled during her visit by some family members who also turned away wreaths donated by the president and other senior officials.

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Ferry disaster: South Korea's president apologises for official failings

Ferry disaster: South Korea's president apologises for official failings

Park Geun-Hye, whose PM resigned over sinking, says government should have fixed 'long-running evils' that caused it

theguardian.com - AFP, Seoul, Tuesday 29 April 2014

Park Geun-hye at a memorial altar in Ansan for victims of the ferry disaster.
Photograph: AP

South Korea's president has apologised for her government's failure to prevent a ferry disaster that left some 300 people dead or missing.

Two days after her prime minister resigned over the tragedy, Park Geun-Hye voiced profound regret at the systemic and regulatory failings that contributed to the capsize of the 6,825-tonne Sewol on 16 April.

"I feel so regretful for having been unable to correct such long-running evils and letting an accident like this take place," she said in a statement to her cabinet that was broadcast on national television.

Park's government has been widely criticised over perceived corruption and lax safety standards that may have led to the disaster, with claims that the ferry was overloaded and the passenger list inaccurate and incomplete.

Relatives of the more than 100 passengers still missing have blasted the response to the sinking, saying delays in launching the rescue cost lives.

"I don't know how to apologise for the failure to prevent this accident and for the insufficient first response," Park said.

"I am sorry to the people and heavy-hearted that many precious lives were lost."

Earlier on Tuesday the president had travelled to Ansan, south of Seoul, where she paid her respects to a memorial for the hundreds of schoolchildren who died in the disaster.

Of the 476 people on board the Sewol, 325 were students from the same high school in Ansan. Only 75 of the students were rescued.

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South Korea president says ferry captain's actions were like 'murder'
South Korea ferry disaster: third mate 'steering in tricky waters for first time'

South Korea ferry disaster: transcript shows crew crippled by indecision
Families of South Korean ferry victims protest as recovery operation goes on
Four dead, 284 missing in S. Korea ferry sinking

China steps up safety measures after S Korean ferry tragedy

Want China Times, Xinhua and Staff Reporter 2014-04-21

Rescue teams search for passengers after the South Korean ferry, identified
as the Sewol, capsized on April 16. (Photo/Xinhua)

China's Ministry of Transport on Sunday asked related authorities to step up safety management and remain alerted after a sunken South Korean ferry left hundreds dead or missing.

Local transport authorities should draw a lesson from the tragedy and intensify measures during the coming May Day holiday to ensure the safety of ferries, the ministry said in a notice, adding that water traffic is expected to boom with mounting tourists in the three-day May Day holiday starting from May 1.

The South Korean ferry sank on Wednesday, with the death toll now standing at 64, with 238 people still missing, most of them students from a school near Seoul, the BBC reported.

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Four dead, 284 missing in S. Korea ferry sinking

Hong Kong ferry disaster kills 37

Eyewitnesses say one vessel went down within 10 minutes of the collision off Lamma Island

guardian.co.uk, Annemarie Evans in Hong Kong,  Tuesday 2 October 2012

One of the boats is pulled out of the water near Yung Shue Wan on
Lamma Island. Photograph: Chinafotopress/Getty Images

At least 37 people have been killed in a ferry collision in Hong Kong, prompting the territory's chief executive to announce an inquiry into the incident.

The collision on Monday evening took place off Lamma Island, which lies about a mile south-west of Hong Kong.

One of the ferries, used by Hong Kong Electric, had 124 people on board as it carried them towards Hong Kong where they were due to watch the National Day fireworks in Victoria harbour.

The other ferry, owned by Hong Kong and Kowloon Ferry (HKKF), was returning with passengers from Hong Kong Island.

Rescue work was continuing on Tuesday as officials said there may be passengers trapped inside the half-sunken HK Electric ferry. The collision happened at 8.30pm local time, after which the HKKF vessel continued into Yung Shue Wan harbour on Lamma.

The HK Electric boat was allowed to carry up to 200 passengers, the company said. According to passengers, the ship went down very fast – within 10 minutes of the collision – giving any passengers trapped inside very little time to escape. There were several dozen people in the water to be rescued, police reports said.

A number of emergency boats appeared quickly on the scene as two helicopters shone beams over the site. Twenty-eight people were confirmed dead at the scene, as injured and shocked passengers were transported to hospitals on Hong Kong Island.

A number of passengers on the HKKF boat suffered injuries as they were thrown from their seats with the impact, but there were no deaths reported.

Hong Kong resident Tina Tucker, who was staying with friends in Pak Kok on Lamma Island, described what she could see from the shore. "I saw the bow sticking out of the water, Titanic style," she said. "The helicopters were circling with big searchlights across the surrounding water as were a lot of smaller boats with lights."

"There was a large crane on a big tug trying to lift it this morning, but they didn't get very far, so they've now brought in a larger boat. There are a number of sampans and junks that have come for a look, but the police have been patrolling and keeping them at a distance."

Chris Head, 48, a Lamma resident of 18 years who was on the HKKF ferry, told the SouthChina Morning Post: "Initially we were trying to put on our life jackets so we were more concerned with that. But after a few minutes, probably about five, I could see that the end – I couldn't tell whether it was the bow or the stern – of the boat was sticking vertically out of the water."

Hong Kong largely has an efficient transport system, and incidents involving fatalities are very rare.

Hong Kong's chief executive, CY Leung, promised an inquiry into the incident. He arrived at South Horizons towards the south side of Hong Kong Island on Monday evening to receive updates from the emergency services. Other government officials went to the hospitals to see the passengers as they came in.

The Lamma Strait is a busy shipping channel. There were more ferries than usual scheduled on Monday as it was a public holiday to celebrate China's National Day, which was also part of an extended weekend marking the mid-autumn festival.

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U.S. donates patrol boats to RI national police

Antara News, Fri, June 3 2011

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The U.S. Departments of Justice and State recently delivered two boats to the Indonesian National Police as part of the Indonesia Maritime Security Project (MARSEC), The U.S. Embassy here said in its official website on Friday.

The two boats increase to 19 the total number of boats provided to Indonesia as part of the MARSEC program. The patrol boats are deployed throughout the archipelago to assist Indonesia in securing vital maritime borders, sea lanes, natural resources, and ports.

In the first year of operation, the U.S.-provided boats seized over $10 million USD in contraband and continue to be an integral and effective component of Indonesia`s maritime security efforts.

Currently, the patrol boats are deployed in Batam-Riau, Sumatra; Bangka Island Straits, Balikpapan; Tarakan, Kalimantan; Bitung, North Sulawesi; Sorong, Papua; and Ternate-Sofia, North Maluku.

The United States Department of Justice International Criminal Investigative Training Assistance Program`s (ICITAP) mission in Indonesia is to support the development of the operational and organizational capacity and competencies of the Government of Indonesia`s law enforcement agencies.

ICITAP is funded by the U. S. Department of State`s Bureau for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) and provides organizational development interventions, technical assistance, training, and equipment donations to augment Indonesia`s law enforcement efforts.

ICITAP support helps the Indonesian National Police continue its transition to a professional democratic law enforcement organization utilizing internationally accepted law enforcement standards and practices.

Editor: Jafar M Sidik

Navy to axe 'Fukushima type' nuclear reactors from submarines

Reactors sharing similar design to ones at Japanese plant to be dropped because they fail to meet safety standards

guardian.co.uk, Severin Carrell, Scotland correspondent, Wednesday 23 March 2011

Trident submarines based at Faslane, Scotland, and six Trafalgar-class
subs have reactors similar to the ones involved in Japan's nuclear
crisis. Photograph: Corbis

The Royal Navy is to drop a dangerous type of reactor used in its existing nuclear submarines because it fails to meet modern safety standards, defence ministers have disclosed.

A safer type of reactor is expected to be used in the submarines that will replace the Trident fleet, as the existing design shares very similar features to the nuclear reactors involved in the Fukushima Daiichi disaster in Japan.

Liam Fox, the defence secretary, told MPs there was a "very clear-cut" case to use the new type of reactor because it has "improved nuclear safety" and would give "a better safety outlook".

A heavily censored Ministry of Defence report disclosed earlier this month by the Guardian and Channel 4 News said the current reactors are "potentially vulnerable" to fatal accidents, which could cause "multiple fatalities" among submarine crews.

The report, written by a senior MoD nuclear safety expert, Commodore Andrew McFarlane, said the existing type compared "poorly" with those in the most modern nuclear power stations because it relied on a vulnerable type of cooling system, falling "significantly short" of modern best practice for nuclear reactors.

McFarlane warned that the naval reactors are "potentially vulnerable to a structural failure of the primary circuit". An accident could release "highly radioactive fission products", posing "a significant risk to life to those in close proximity and a public safety hazard out to 1.5km [1 mile] from the submarine".

Known as the PWR2, this type is used in the four Trident submarines based at Faslane, near Glasgow, and six Trafalgar-class ones now being taken out of service. Like the Fukushima power station north of Tokyo, the PWR2 relies entirely on back-up power supplies to provide emergency cooling in the event of an accident.

Despite the anxieties about its safety, PWR2s are also being fitted in the seven Astute-class submarines being built. These vessels will also be based at Faslane.

There have been debates within the MoD and the navy about whether the PWR2 should be used if a replacement to Trident is finally approved – or if a safer type, PWR3, should replace it. The PWR3 uses "passive" cooling, which makes it far less reliant on back-up power, and has additional methods of injecting coolant into a reactor.

The PWR3 is widely used in modern US nuclear submarines. The debate has delayed a decision on what type of reactor to install by 18 months, McFarlane's report disclosed, and has cost a further £261m.

Fox was questioned in the Commons on the reactor's safety by Angus Robertson, the Scottish National party's defence spokesman, after the disclosure of the report. Fox said: "The government's view is that that is the preferred option, because those reactors give us a better safety outlook. That is a debate on both sides of the Atlantic, but we believe that in terms of safety, the case is very clear-cut."

Robertson said: "This still raises concerns about the currently operational and incoming nuclear submarines, which don't satisfy acceptable safety standards. The UK should give up its nuclear obsession."

John Ainslie, from the Scottish Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, who uncovered the original McFarlane report, said the new reactor would push up costs for the Trident replacement fleet by billions of pounds, since it would need designing and testing.

"There is another option: they should completely abandon their plan to squander billions on new nuclear submarines," he said.

Maritime casualty reports increase to 128 cases in 2010

Nani Afrida, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Tue, 12/28/2010

The National Commission of Transportation Safety (KNKT) revealed Tuesday that the number of maritime casualty reports had increased to 128 cases in 2010 from 124 cases in 2009.

“Although the number of cases rose, the [human losses] decreased to 185 people from 247 victims in 2009,” KNKT chairman Tatang Kurniadi said in Jakarta.

The KNKT also noted 50 percent of the casualties involved motorboats, cargo carriers and container ships, while the casualties involving tug boats accounted for only 21 percent.

“In the Java Sea there were 48 incidents, as it is the busiest waterway in the country,” he said.

Tatang added that from the total cases, KNKT only investigated five severe incidents.

SeaWorld fined $75,000 after death of animal trainer

CNN, August 23rd, 2010

SeaWorld has been fined $75,000 by the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration for three safety violations, including one classified as willful, after the death of one of its animal trainers in February.

The agency's investigation "revealed that SeaWorld trainers had an extensive history of unexpected and potentially dangerous incidents involving killer whales at its various facilities, including its location in Orlando," said an OSHA statement Monday. "Despite this record, management failed to make meaningful changes to improve the safety of the work environment for its employees."

There was no immediate response from SeaWorld to the announcement.

– From CNN's Dugald McConnell

Former SeaWorld safety chief Linda Simons claims she was fired for talking
too much to federal investigators following the death of trainer Dawn Brancheau (r.)
 (Connell/AP)

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