India asks IMO to order fresh investigation on M V Rezzak

London, July 3 (PTI) India has asked the International
Maritime Organisation to order a fresh investigation into
disappearance of vessel M V Rezzak with 25 Indians onboard
over four months ago in the Black Sea, saying the incident has
"shaken the government's confidence" in its proactive maritime
training policy.

Relatives of missing Indian believe the ship could have
been hijacked or it could even be a case of fraud and only the
location of the vessel, through an underwater search if
necessary, will be acceptable to them as conclusion of the
investigation, Kiran Dhinga, Director General of Shipping and
ex-officio Additional Secretary of the Government of India,
said.

Dhinga sought the "international investigation" at a
meeting of the IMO, the highest maritime law making body, here
recently. The first investigation report by the U.N. body was
sent to India early last month.

Dhinga told PTI that the members of the IMO Council noted
the incident with grave concern bearing in mind the safety of
crew and welfare of the families of the missing members.

"The Secretary General of IMO organised a meeting in his
chambers with the delegation of the concerned states and the
substantially interested state (India), requesting them to
work in close cooperation in tracing the missing ship as soon
as possible," she said.

M V Rezzak, a general cargo vessel, carrying the Panama
flag with gross tonnage of 3009 tonnes, sailed out on February
17, 2008 from Novorossiysk in Russia with a full load of about
2800 tonnes of steel billets, to Bartin Limani in Turkey with
25 Indian crew members.

Dhinga said "the unfortunate incident has shaken the
confidence of Indian Government in "its proactive maritime
training policy that seeks to promote seafaring as a means of
remunerative employment for its people."

The Indian delegation urged the members of the IMO Council
to initiate all necessary measures, "including underwater
search and survey, with the cooperation of all stakeholders
in the international community, to locate the ship in order to
ascertain how such a total safety systems collapse could be so
comprehensively achieved.

"An international investigation into this matter would
help this Council to initiate and mandate preventive measures
such as possible amendments to the international convention
for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) or auditing system and
invest the findings into its ongoing actions to obviate such
losses in future.

Before sailing from Novorossiysk, the vessel was
reportedly detained for two weeks due to a large number of
deficiencies. All but a few deficiencies were corrected prior
to sailing, Dhingra said.

"It was only a 24-hour passage. But on February 18, the
vessel lost all contact. The Search and Rescue operation was
carried out by the coastal state, Turkey, after receiving
information from the operators that their vessel was overdue
in the load port.

No survivors or wreckage was found. There were only some
oil slicks and some life rafts bearing one of the earlier
names of the vessel, she said.

Four months have elapsed since then, and till date there
was not a trace of the vessel or its crew. "The Flag State
Inquiry has been inconclusive, and has presumed the loss of
the ship due to bad weather with all 25 hands on board."

Noting that Indian Parliament was deeply concerned and has
taken serious note of the incident, Dhinga conveyed its
agitation that "we should be encouraging global seafaring
opportunities for our countrymen when there is such scant
concern for their safety."