According to reports from local relevant authorities in South Korea, the Korean Coast Guard is applying for an arrest warrant for the captain of the passenger ship “Genavia II”. Last Wednesday, this passenger ship ran aground near Sinan County, resulting in 30 injuries among the 267 passengers and crew on board.
The captain, who is in his sixties, is facing charges of serious negligence causing injury and violation of maritime laws. Investigators revealed that while passing through a particularly narrow and dangerous waterway, he had left the bridge unattended.
The 26,546-ton “Genavia II”, en route from Jeju Island to Mokpo, collided with an uninhabited island around 8:16 PM. According to maritime law, during critical navigation phases such as entering or leaving port or traversing dangerous waters, this area falls under the scope where the captain must provide direct supervision.
Reports indicate that the ferry’s operating procedures clearly stipulate that this waterway requires the captain’s continuous supervision. When the ferry ran aground, it was carrying 246 passengers and 21 crew members. Within 3 hours and 10 minutes after the distress signal was sent, rescue operations were swiftly launched to provide medical treatment to the injured.
Previous actions taken by the relevant authorities included detaining two crew members in their forties—the chief mate and the helmsman—who were charged with gross negligence causing injury. The investigation indicated that they failed to adjust the course in a timely manner, ultimately leading to this unfortunate grounding accident.
The chief mate admitted that moments before the ship was about to hit the small island, he was distracted by using his mobile phone. At that time, the ship was navigating through this dangerous waterway using autopilot rather than manual control. He realized the ship had deviated from its course too late—just 13 seconds before impact—and attempted a last-minute correction, but it was too late, and the ship headed straight for the uninhabited island ahead.
In a statement before the hearing, the chief mate expressed remorse for the harm caused by the incident, including injuries suffered by a pregnant passenger during the evacuation.
The captain made no public comment but stated that throughout the voyage, the primary responsibility for accurately monitoring their position lay with the chief mate. He pointed out that by the time instructions regarding helm adjustments were received, it was already too late to take effective measures to avoid colliding with land.
Last Sunday, experts from the Korean Register of Shipping and the National Forensic Service conducted a joint inspection of the accident vessel and announced preliminary investigation results, confirming that there were no structural issues with the ferry’s operation and that mechanical failure was not the cause of this grounding incident.
South Korean authorities continue to investigate the sequence of circumstances leading to the accident and are evaluating the response measures taken by the ship’s crew throughout the incident.
Compiled by Shipping Online.
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