LONDON, January 13. /TASS/. The captain of the container ship Solong, Russian sailor Vladimir Motin, has been charged with failing to take any action to avoid a collision with the US-flagged tanker Stena Immaculate in the North Sea last March, First Senior Treasury Counsel Tom Little said on January 13 at the Central Criminal Court of London, the Old Bailey.
"The defendant was responsible for navigating the ship. He was on sole watch duty on the bridge at the time. Ultimately, he did nothing, absolutely nothing, to avoid the collision," Little said.
The prosecutor added that Motin took no action despite the fact that "the collision course was obvious when seen from the bridge" and had earlier been apparent on the computer installed there. He also noted that the captain was a "highly trained" specialist who had "a constellation of information" enabling him to act.
"Despite an obvious collision course, the defendant did not deviate his course," Little said, as quoted by the BBC.
Vessel collision
On March 10 last year, the Portuguese-flagged container ship Solong collided with the tanker Stena Immaculate, which was anchored in the North Sea. As a result of a cargo tank rupture, some of the aviation fuel carried by the tanker spilled into the sea. Explosions occurred on board the Stena Immaculate, after which both vessels caught fire.
Five Russians, including the captain, were among the crew members of the container ship. None were injured. One sailor from the Solong, Filipino Mark Angelo Pernia, went missing. The search for him was called off on the first day, and he is presumed dead. All other crew members from both vessels were evacuated.
Following the incident, Motin was detained and charged with criminal negligence resulting in death. He is the sole defendant in the case. At a preliminary hearing last May, Motin pleaded not guilty.
On April 3, the British Marine Accident Investigation Branch published a preliminary report stating that a shortage of sailors on watch and adverse weather conditions may have contributed to the collision between the Solong and the Stena Immaculate.
The trial began on January 12. On Tuesday, the jury was sworn in. The proceedings are expected to last about four weeks.