24 January 2008, 22:44
Main reasons of November 2007 catastrophe in Kerch Strait announced
The Russian Ministry of Transportation has announced that the principal causes of vessels' destruction in the Kerch Strait in November 2007 were complicated weather conditions and poor control over navigation safety.
"The main reasons were highly severe weather conditions with waves up to 7 meters high, absence of due control over safe vessel operation by ship-owners, who gave orders to ship captains to sail to the areas forbidden for navigation of such vessels, and also ship captains' failure to take necessary measures to ensure navigation safety," runs the press release of the RF Ministry of Transportation with reference to Alexander Davydenko, head of the Russian Marine and River Fleet ("Rosmorrechflot").
Among other reasons, Mr Davydenko has named the unsettled legal status of the Kerch Strait, the absence of due control by the Ukrainian party over the work of the transhipment complex in the Kerch Strait, and insufficient control over the operation of its branch by the Federal State Institution (FSI) "Russian River Register", the RIA "Novosti" reports.
