Wakashio report released 3 years after grounding in Mauritius

The Panama Maritime Authority has released its investigation report on the grounding of the bulk carrier Wakashio off the coast of Mauritius almost three years ago. The incident occurred on July 25, 2020, when the ship, empty of cargo, ran aground on a reef off Pointe d’Esny during its voyage from Singapore to Brazil. The ship broke apart, causing an “environmental emergency” and spilling around 1,000 tons of oil into the pristine waters. The investigation report confirms that the ship was sailing too close to shore in order to pick up a cellphone signal for crew members to communicate with their families back home.

According to the report, the captain instructed the Chief Officer (OOW) to pass five miles south of Mauritius before attending a crew member’s birthday celebration. However, a misunderstanding of the correct course led the ship to sail closer to shore than expected. The chief officer, distracted by his cellphone, failed to notice that the ship was heading towards shallow water. Even when the captain returned to the bridge, he also did not recognize that the ship had veered off course. The report concluded that the captain’s failure to recognize the risk and the chief officer’s distraction contributed to the incident.

The investigation report highlighted the lack of vigilance by the captain and first officer, the captain’s overconfidence, and inadequate ISM procedures as contributing factors to the accident. Both the captain and chief officer were sentenced to 16 months in prison for their roles in the incident. The report also mentioned that the incident occurred during the crew rotation crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. It noted that the ship’s previous boatswain had jumped overboard a month before the accident, leaving the AB’s position vacant due to COVID-19 restrictions. The investigation report has now been made available to the public after being submitted to the IMO in 2021.

To read the full investigation report, please follow this link.

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