1 INSUNG

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Report blames captain, crew, management and owner for ship loss

A report into the sinking of the "Insung 1" in the Ross Sea in which 22 people died and which was published on Nov 2, 2012, by the Korean Maritime Safety Tribunal said failings by the ship's captain, crew, management and owners are to blame for the tragedy. The "Insung 1" went down without warning about 2700km southeast off Bluff on December 13, 2010. Rescue crews managed to save 20 people from the ship which took just 30 minutes to go down. The crew failed to keep the trawling door and a bow-side door shut while the ship was sailing in rough seas and strong winds. Their failure to check these doors and their decision to proceed with sailing ... led to the flooding of the passageway by seawater that had come in through the open trawling door. Once they become aware of the flooding the crew failed to take appropriate action, which led to water quickly filling the ship's engine room, undermining the ship's stability. The ship's management and owners were also criticised in the report for failing to provide adequate safety instructions and training in the languages the crew members, who were from five different countries, could understand. The fact so many died in the tragedy shows the captain failed to evacuate the ship in a timely manner. This failure led the crew members to fall into water, which was -1C to 0C at the time, and led many to die from hypothermia as a result. To avoid a similar tragedy happening again Insung Corporation must immediately improve its polices surrounding crew management and safety. All crew must be able to effectively communicate with one another and that safety rules and requirements of the company need to be written in languages that all crew members can understand.

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The sinking of the "One Insung" killed at least 5 people while only 20 were rescued. A time-sensitive search was underway for another 17 people who were still missing, though there was little hope left.

1 INSUNG 7913220

Sank at 0630 LT Dec 13 2010 in 63 20 S 160 15 W, some 1500 nm off New Zealand and 800 nm off Antarctida coast. It is not known at this stage what caused the vessel to sink or why no distress communication was received prior to it sinking, reports Rescue Coordination Centre New Zealand (RCCNZ). Nearby fishing vessel Hongjin No. 707 saved 20 survivors and picked bodies of 5 deceased fishermen, 18 are missing. Crew 42: 8 South Koreans, 8 Chinese, 11 Indonesian, 3 Filippinese and 1 Russian. Sea temperature is 2 degrees Celsius, survival times in the water are about 10 minutes without lifejackets or immersion suits, reports RCCNZ.