Split: so far not established the technical irregularities of the ferry

The results of the investigation so far did not identified any technical irregularities on the Jadrolinija's ferry "Tin Ujevic", which hitted the coast while the sailing into the port city in Split, then, from the damaged tanks into the sea spilled the petroleum, reported today to the press the State Secretary for the Sea capt. Mario Babic.

The sea is contaminated with up to 33,400 liters of the diesel fuel that was in the ship's tanks, and only by the rapid intervention of the CIOS team was prevented it's larger spread, about 40% of the fuel has already evaporated. The teams have immediately started with the cleaning process and there should not be any major ecological consequences, and the port's traffic takes place regularly, said at today's press conference the Split's County Port Authority director and the commander of the operating center, Boris Matosic, what confirmed the "Cian" company representative that is removing the impurities on the sea at the place of the accident.

State Secretary Babic said, referring to the ship's communication's log, that the commander of the ship, Damir Rusinovic in the first statement after the maritime disaster said that "the stern of the ship suddenly conceived to the left side.", - he also added that the commander "was in the state of the shock.". "The machine commander said that on the instruments had not seen any abnormal operations of the ship's equipment." - reported capt. Babic, and said that by the control-review of the damaged ship in a shipyard will be possible to see if all the ship's equipment did functioned properly.

"At the time when the ship hitted the coast weather was not windy, and there were no strong sea-currents that could affect to the maneuvering the ship, and the port's lightning was neat, the breath-test results of all of the crew members is negative, that means that they were not under the influence of the alcohol, and also, they all posses the maritime certificates and they did not worked more than the maximum permitted number of the working hours" - said capt. Babic. On the reporters request capt. Babic said that the "Tin Ujevic" ferry is officially registered at the Croatian Register of Shipping.

The "Tin Ujevic" ferry was equipped with all the necessary documentation, and a month ago the ferry was at the 'Vranjic' shipyard overhaul, said the Split's County Port Authority director and the commander of the operating center in Split, Boris Matosic.

"The sea was up all the 33,400 liters of the diesel, as it was in the tank of the capacity of the 70 tons, and experts have reported to me during the night that from the sea evaporated more than 40% of the spilled fuel." - Matosic said, adding that by the rapid intervention during the night was prevented the spread of the fuel spots in a nearby the "ACI" marina.

Drago Tunjic, the "Cian" company representative, which deals with the removal of the pollutants, said that the company promptly responded by using the means for the absorbing of the fuel spills, so-called 'disperzants' that absorbed the mayor of the dispersal of the fuel spills. During the night and today at the Split area was felt the smell of the fuel that floats, but Tunjic said that "there should be no major environmental consequences." He added that the weather contributed to the rapid evaporation of the spills.

This morning at the port of Split arrived the representatives of the Central Staff of the Sudden Interventions at the Sea, and the representatives of the National Center for the Search and Rescue operations at sea (SAR).

Traffic in the port city of Split is carried out without delays. Ships on the line to Ancona and Dubrovnik were diverted to the other berths in the Split's port, and for the damaged ship "Tin Ujevic", that was traveling on the line 'Stari Grad-Split', os replaced with the other ship, reported Matosic.

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