PETROPAVLOVSK-KAMCHATSKY, November 14. /TASS/. The Anatoly Krasheninnikov bulk carrier that sank in the Far Eastern Sea of Okhotsk on November 9, had unauthorized passengers on board, Kamchatka’s deputy transport prosecutor Ivan Netsvet told TASS on Wednesday.
"It was established that the vessel’s departure from the port of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky was carried out with violations. The ship’s crew list had 10 names, but, in fact, the crew consisted of only eight crew members. Besides, four crew members on the ship’s crew list were absent, other people were on board instead of them. In addition, it was also established that five passengers were not authorized to be on board, the port’s chief was not notified about them when the vessel was departing," he said.
Various state agencies continue their inspections of the ship’s owner.
Earlier on Tuesday, the Far Eastern department of Russia’s Investigative Committee said on its website that it was looking into three versions of the accident - "violation of rules for navigation and cargo loading, a technical malfunction and unfavorable weather conditions."
On November 9, a private sailing scow sunk in the Sea of Okhotsk with 13 people on board. Ten people were saved by a nearby ship. Three people remain unaccounted for, but aerial search for them has been suspended due to unfavorable weather conditions.
"Weather conditions still do not permit to use the aviation at the area of the shipwreck. Today, the search for the sailors will be carried out by ships crossing the search zone and employees of the Kronotsky state nature reserve, who will examine the coastline," a search in the region’s emergencies ministry department said.
According to the Russian maritime shipping register, the sunken ship was registered in the Far Eastern city of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. The ship was transporting 280 tonnes of construction materials and equipment to the settlement of Palana in the north of Kamchatka.