SPLIT SPLIT, Jan 6 (Hina) - Geni Vukovic (aged 36), the only survivor, for the time being, of the five-member crew of the "Nautika 64" ship that overturned 30 miles off the Italian port of Ancona early on Friday, arrived in Split this
morning, aboard the 'Dubrovnik' ship. Upon the arrival Vukovic immediately went to the offices of port authorities to give his statement to a commission in charge of establishing the circumstances of the accident. This commission, set up by the Ministry of Maritime Affairs, Transport and Communications, has been in session since last night. The Ancona harbour authority reported the bodies of three of four Croatian seamen had been found. The identity of found sailors has not yet been revealed. The fifth crew member has not been located yet and is being traced by harbour authority patrol boats, helicopters and other vessels. The search resumed this morning and a Croatian salvage ship 'Zadar'
SPLIT, Jan 6 (Hina) - Geni Vukovic (aged 36), the only survivor, for
the time being, of the five-member crew of the "Nautika 64" ship
that overturned 30 miles off the Italian port of Ancona early on
Friday, arrived in Split this morning, aboard the 'Dubrovnik'
ship.
Upon the arrival Vukovic immediately went to the offices of port
authorities to give his statement to a commission in charge of
establishing the circumstances of the accident. This commission,
set up by the Ministry of Maritime Affairs, Transport and
Communications, has been in session since last night.
The Ancona harbour authority reported the bodies of three of four
Croatian seamen had been found. The identity of found sailors has
not yet been revealed. The fifth crew member has not been located
yet and is being traced by harbour authority patrol boats,
helicopters and other vessels. The search resumed this morning and
a Croatian salvage ship 'Zadar' joined the Italian rescue team, a
commission member told Hina today.
The 36-year-old Vukovic, who saved himself by swimming for two
hours until he reached an oil platform, was hospitalised in Ancona
yesterday.
It is believed the ship, which sailed out from the Croatian port of
Split with 150 tonnes of marble, capsized due to the shifting of the
cargo on deck. The ship is currently at sea and will probably be
towed up to Ancona.
The commission in charge of establishing causes of the tragedy,
that includes Ministry officials, maritime affairs experts, port
authorities and representatives of the Croatian register of ships,
is checking all relevant documents.
Split port authorities have said "Nautika 64" was in working order
and had all valid documents, with the restriction under which this
vessel should not sail further than 20 miles off the coast (either
off the mainland or islands). This means that 'Nautika 64' had the
permit to sail from Split via the Croatian islands of Hvar, Korcula,
Lastovo and Palagruza and along the Italian coastline until its
destination, and it should not have sailed in the open seas where it
had been moving at the moment of the tragedy, the Split port
authorities informed.
The commission member has quoted Ancona sources as saying that
there is a great possibility that the fifth seaman is being inside
the overturned ship but owing to fears that 'Nautika 64' can sink
down each moment, the Italian rescue team has not yet tried to take
him out of the vessel.
On board the ship, apart from Geni Vukovic, were captain Petar
Jasic, steersman Dusko Vukovic, engine manager Sinisa Madunic, and
seaman Marko Mijatovic.
(hina) ms