There are suspicions of destruction or manipulation of part of the ship’s documentation, say the national investigation
22 days after the shipwreck “Vera Su” near Kamen Bryag, investigators from the National Investigation Service started working on the spot. In front of journalists from NSlS they confirmed that there are suspicions of destruction or manipulation of part of the ship’s documentation.
According to the evidence gathered so far, the accident probably happened after the watchman fell asleep within 15-20 minutes.
“The guilt is certainly borne by 2 people against whom there is a charge. According to the evidence gathered so far, it is a matter of falling asleep on duty for 15-20 minutes, which led to the shipwreck. Before the shore the ship had to turn left, but it went straight on, “explained investigator Ivo Angelov.
He praised his colleagues from the investigation department in Dobrich for the work done so far. And the team from NSlS will try to get on board today.
“There are documents that we are interested in. We will take them,” Angelov explained, adding that the cameras will be checked and whether any records have been destroyed.
“The actions of the crew lead us to think that something is not right,” Angelov said.
The NSlS team will board the ship as soon as the weather allows.
“They will enter the holds, the engine room, it will be checked whether there is any manipulation in the navigation,” the investigator explained.
NSlS are on site with their own laboratory, because they want to check for water pollution.
“We are obliged to check the results, so we are with our laboratory,” Angelov said, explaining that there are also doubts that there is anything else in the cargo besides the declared one.
“First we want to check them, then it may turn out that our doubts are unfounded,” Angelov said.
For a long time, the ship’s crew stranded near Kamen Bryag did not want to leave the vessel, but was evacuated late last week.
The merchant ship Vera Su ran aground on September 20th off the coast of Yailata, near the Kavarna village of Kamen Bryag. The ship sails under the Panamanian flag and carries fertilizers. The crew is 9 people.
The pre-trial proceedings for the shipwreck are proceeding in three directions.
The main text is about a transport crime – what are the reasons that led to the shipwreck.
Investigators must clarify whether the actions of the authorized Bulgarian authorities were adequate, timely and competent and whether no inaction was shown.
It will also be investigated whether there is pollution of sea water and damage to nature in view of the cargo of the ship – ammonium nitrate.
Barges from the port of Varna are ready to leave for the distressed vessel to pick up its cargo and transport it to the port of Balchik.
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