Marine

Citation

(2001), "Marine", Disaster Prevention and Management, Vol. 10 No. 3. https://doi.org/10.1108/dpm.2001.07310cac.001

Marine

Marine

23 July 2000 – off Nouadhibou, Mauritania

Portuguese trawler Orcados has sunk off the coast of Mauritania with the loss of 13 lives, diplomatic and port sources in the West African country said today. Another 13 people are believed to have survived the wreck of the vessel, which went down on Friday (July 21) off Nouadhibou, the sources added. The bodies and survivors were first taken on board another Portuguese fishing vessel before being transferred to a Spanish hospital boat, which was now heading to Nouadhibou, the sources said.

25 July 2000 – North Atlantic

The Polish Register of Shipping report into the loss in the Atlantic of m bulk carrier Leader L. with 18 of her crew does not offer a conclusive reason for the vessel's sinking. It makes it clear that the total loss of the vessel in deep waters makes it impossible to offer a precise reason for the vessel's loss. Instead, it focuses upon the technical condition of the hull structure, which falls within the responsibility of the classification society. The loss of this particular vessel is typical of the many bulk carrier losses, in that it took more than six hours between the notice of the first emergency to the final disappearance of the vessel. The Polish classification society also suggests that this was no case of an elderly bulk carrier involved in a transfer of class scenario, but one in which the vessel had been under PRS classification for more than three years, with a Special Survey completed more than two years before the vessel was lost. Rather, the Polish report offers a view that the sinking of the vessel owed a good deal to the inability of internal divisions to withstand the force of free surface action, which it believes gradually saw the initial damage propagate to the holds forward of the No. 4 hold which had first flooded. The thesis advanced in the PRS report suggests that the vessel was first damaged in the way of No. 4 hold, possibly by the detachment of plates in the vessel's side, caused by a local fracture made worse by the heavy weather. With water in what was the vessel's biggest cargo space, there was a progressive flooding and build-up of free surface effects, made worse by the ingress of water effectively dissolving the vessel's cargo of salt. This was the situation on board Leader L. about 40 minutes before she sank, with the initial flooding in No. 4 hold progressively advancing into No. 3 and No. 2 holds, according to PRS. PRS has studied the forces generated by the free surface in this substantial space and has concluded that the vessel's corrugated bulkheads between No. 4 and No. 3 hold would have been insufficiently strong to withstand the strong forces from liquids washing to and fro. It is pointed out that this free surface was powerful enough to lift up the hatch covers. The vessel gradually flooded forward, although it took about six hours for the vessel to finally sink. As to the condition of the internal structure, PRS records indicate that the corrosion diminution observed by the society and Lloyd's Register, which had overseen her condition up to 1997, was "well within permissable limits". The Polish society also makes the point that the vessel took some six hours to sink from the first indications of an emergency developing; with almost all the crew members who were on deck or in lifeboats on the davits being rescued. The final phase of the emergency, when the bow submerged until the vessel sank, lasted approximately 30 minutes, which suggests PRS, "should have provided enough time for all crew members to abandon ship in a safe and orderly manner". The report makes a number of suggestions, of which those relating to the strength of corrugated bulkheads are of most universal importance. Tests in Gdansk, in which the performance of such bulkheads under load was assessed seemed to indicate that the strength of such bulkheads would be insufficient to withstand the effect of imposed loads. The ultimate strength of the bulkheads, suggests the PRS, "should not be ignored". However, it is pointed out that it is "questionable if periodic surveys by class can alone ensure that sufficient local strength is maintained through the whole period of a vessel's operation". UDIYA (Ukraine).

27 July 2000 – Dhaka, Bangladesh

At least 50 people were feared drowned today, after a small ferry was hit by a larger vessel and sank in the Buriganga river near Dhaka, police said. Only ten of the 60 people on board had been able to swim ashore, police sub-inspector Jashimuddin Bhuiyan at nearby Fatulla police station said, "At least 50 people are missing, feared drowned, after mv Ashique sank about 20km from Dhaka. It was hit by a bigger vessel," he said.

The badly damaged ferry was pulled out of 50 foot-deep water by a rescue vessel after a seven-hour operation. No bodies were found in the wreck of the ferry, which was torn apart in the collision. "We believe the missing people were swept away from the broken ferry by the strong current and drowned," said Abdul Jalil, a fire service official, after salving the ferry.

28 July 2000 – Sichuan Province, south-west China

Supervision and discipline authorities in Sichuan Province, south-west China, have fired 18 local officials and public servants found to be responsible for the sinking of passenger vessel Rang Jian in June that killed 130 people. Eight other officials at various levels also received administrative or other punishments in line with the Communist Party of China (CPC) disciplines. The action was approved by the provincial CPC committee, the provincial government and the Ministry of Supervision, according to sources at a meeting on the accident. On June 22, Rang Jian, which had a maximum holding capacity of 101, was carrying 221 passengers when she snagged a rock and sank while sailing in foggy conditions. A total of 130 people were killed in the accident. The vessel was on a stretch of the Yangtze River near Hejiang County of Luzhou City, Sichuan. Among the sacked are leading officials of Luzhou's communications and shipping bureaus, the secretary of the CPC's Hejiang county committee, head of Hejiang County, and two township leaders. Liu Qiang, from the local harbour superintendency bureau, has been detained by the public security department in connection with the accident. Earlier, four people determined to be directly responsible for the vessel were arrested by the local police. Included in the group were the ship's owner and her pilot.

3 August 2000 – off La Paloma

M general cargo/container vessel Skyros (15,072 gt, built 1978) was in collision with Uruguayan Navy coastal minesweeper Valiente (310 displacement tons, launched 1972) off La Paloma, at 07.22, local time, today, Valiente sank and approximately eight crew members are missing, Skyros will be sailing to Montevideo this afternoon, ETA Montevideo 21.00, local time, today.

5 August 2000 – Eight sailors died and three were reported missing today when Uruguayan Navy coastal minesweeper Valiente sank after being cut in two by m general cargo/container vessel Skyros, officials said, "At 04.35 hrs Valiente collided with Skyros some 11 nautical miles to the south of Cabo Polonio," the navy said in a communique. The Uruguayan vessel was split in two by Skyros and sank in less than an hour, navy officials said. The cause of the accident was under investigation. Rescuers from the navy and air force were looking for three sailors missing from the 24-man crew that had been on board the minesweeper when she went down 150 miles to the east of Montevideo. Thirteen crew members were shuttled to nearby La Paloma port for medical treatment, while five of the eight dead have already been identified. Two navy vessels, navy and air force helicopters, and three merchant vessels that had been in the area were taking part in the rescue effort. "The sea conditions in the area are normal, but there is a dense fog that is making rescue efforts difficult," a navy spokesman said.

6 August 2000 – The Uruguayan Navy was searching today for three seamen from coastal minesweeper Valiente, missing after a collision with m general cargo/container vessel Skyros which killed eight of their colleagues. The Navy minesweeper sank after being split in two by the freighter, officials said. The accident took place during thick fog but under normal sea conditions 11 miles off La Paloma port, which is 188 miles east of Montevideo. Helicopters were searching the waters today for the three members of the Valiente's crew still missing today. No casualties were reported on board Skyros, which was apparently cruising on automatic pilot at the time of the accident. She was taken to La Paloma port, where she will remain under custody until an investigation into the accident is completed.

6 August 2000 – Eight crewmembers died and three were reported missing yesterday when Uruguayan minesweeper Valiente, on patrol close to Brazilian waters, was cut in two by m general cargo/container vessel Skyros. In an official release the Uruguayan Navy said that Valiente, with a crew of 24 collided with Skyros at 04.00 hrs and in less than ten minutes had sunk. Visibility at the time of the accident because of a dense fog bank was almost nil. It is believed the three missing crew members were in the engine-room, when the full impact of the collision occurred. Extreme low water temperatures, hypothermia, also contributed to the accident that occurred 150 miles east of Montevideo and 15 miles off the port of La Paloma. Rescuers from the navy, air force helicopters, plus merchant and fishing vessels spent yesterday and today looking for the missing sailors of the minesweeper. Skyros is currently at Montevideo and three inquiries are in process, judicial, navy and insurers.

15 August 2000 – Barents Sea

Nuclear-powered Oscar II-class submarine Kursk (13,900 tons displacement, built 1994) sank in the Barents Sea off Russia's north-western coast on Sunday (August 13), trapping at least 100 sailors beneath 500 feet of Arctic waters, Russian naval officials said. As rescuers reached the vessel, the commander of the Russian navy said there was little hope of raising the submarine or its crew. The submarine sank about 100 miles from Murmansk during a naval exercise which involved about 30 vessels, officials said. Admiral Vladimir Kuroyedov, the Russian navy commander, said there were "signs of a big and serious collision", but he did not specify its cause. The officers and crew on board the Kursk lost radio contact with other vessels shortly after it began to sink, but officials said crewmen appeared to be alive and were communicating through rhythmic tapping on the hull, which was captured by navy sonar devices. The Interfax news agency quoted officials from the navy's Northern Fleet, based in Murmansk, as saying that efforts were underway to restore power to the submarine and provide its crew with fresh oxygen. The Kursk reportedly shut down its two nuclear reactors after it was crippled, and both Russia and the Norwegian Defence Ministry said no sign of a radiation leak had been detected. The vessel, one of the most modern in the Russian fleet, is capable of carrying 24 tactical missiles with nuclear or conventional warheads, but Russian officials said no nuclear weapons were on board. Pentagon officials denied that any US vessel or submarine collided with the Kursk. US Navy electronic surveillance vessel Loyal was monitoring Russian submarine movements in the Barents Sea about 250 miles from the Kursk when it went down, senior Navy officials said. Although the nature and cause of the Kursk's sinking remained unclear, naval experts said that the fact it was immobilised on the sea floor at about half the depth it can withstand suggested heavy damage. "Judging by the fact that this is a modern submarine, a very big one; that had to shut down its reactors and cannot move, the situation is serious," said retired Russian admiral Georgi Kostin. Kuroyodev, the naval commander, dampened hopes of any rescue. "Despite all the efforts underway, the probability of a successful rescue is not very high," he told the Russian Tass news agency. The Kursk normally carries a crew of 107, but observers speculated that for the weekend naval exercises, up to 130 might have been on board, to take advantage of a rare training opportunity. Ten navy ships headed for the area yesterday, among them aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov, nuclear missile cruiser Peter the Great, three submarines and a patrol vessel. Russian officials reported calm seas but strong currents in the area. The Northern Fleet commander, Admiral Vyacheslav Popov, took charge of the crisis operation. US officials said they had received no request for assistance in the rescue effort. "The situation is serious, but according to the command of the Northern Fleet, its rescue teams have enough resources to deal with the issue without turning to others for help," Tass quoted the fleet command as saying. Tass said small rescue submarines circling the Kursk found it damaged but sitting straight on the seabed. Government television reports suggested rescuers using subsurface viewing devices could see that the bow of the submarine was badly damaged and flooded. The report said also that the final radio contact with the submarine's commander before the Kursk went down was a request to fire two torpedoes. Early reports said that the bow filled with water after a pair of torpedoes misfired. By mid-evening, naval authorities cautiously began to speak of evacuating the crew, but just how this would be accomplished was not clear. It is theoretically possible for crewmen to escape a vessel trapped at such a depth, but only with sophisticated breathing gear that the submarine was unlikely to have on board. The Norwegian environmental group, Bellona, quoted former Russian naval official Alexander Nikitin as saying that the submarine was not equipped with any sort of escape chamber which could raise crew members to the surface. He said a deep-diving rescue vehicle would have to be used. A navy spokesman said that such a rescue module was on the scene, but he declined to say whether it had been lowered to the submarine. Interfax said the module was supplying the submarine with oxygen.

15 August 2000 – The 116 crew members of nuclear-powered Oscar II-class submarine Kursk, lying at the bottom of the Barents Sea, are alive but a storm was hampering rescue efforts, the Russian navy said yesterday. Navy commander, Admiral Vladimir Kuroyedov, reiterated a grim forecast for the rescue operation, which could be complicated by the weather and the condition of the submarine. "The prognosis for the possible consequences of the accident on the lives of the vessel's crew appear very grim," Interfax news agency quoted Kuroyedov as saying in his report to President Vladimir Putin yesterday. However, Kuroyedov also said everything was ready for the crew's evacuation, which could start as soon as the storm calms. A navy spokesman in the North Fleet headquarters said earlier that by tapping on the hull of the submarine, 500 feet down on the sea bed, rescuers had determined that none of the crew members had died in Sunday's (August 13) accident. However, the spokesman, contacted at the fleet's headquarters in the Arctic base of Severomorsk, said some might be injured after the crew was forced to turn off the submarine's reactor and let it drift to the bottom of the sea. "We have learned through tapping coded messages on the side of the submarine that there are no dead among the Kursk crew, but it remains unknown whether there are casualties," he said. RTR state television said oxygen on board would last a week, giving rescuers time to evacuate the crew. However, strong waves and currents were preventing the navy from sending equipment down to the submarine. Itar-Tass news agency quoted Kuroyedov as saying that only missile cruiser Peter the Great and anti-submarine vessel Admiral Chubachenko could resist the waves. The anchors of a dozen other vessels had been torn off, he said. Weather forecasters gave some hope that the storm would ease after noon (08.00, UTC) today. So far, rescue efforts have focused on restoring the air and power supply to the Kursk and assessing the damage. Interfax news agency quoted naval officials as saying two sections of the bow had been damaged but that the crew had had time to evacuate the front of the submarine. Moscow said it was aware the USA and the UK had offered help but had not so far decided to accept it. The USA has two Deep Submergence Rescue Vehicles which can conduct rescue operations in depths of up to 610 metres and evacuate up to 24 crew members at a time. The UK has put a deep search and rescue submarine on stand-by. There were conflicting reports yesterday about the cause of the accident. Some officials suggested the submarine might have been involved in a collision, but others said a malfunction or blast on its bow had sent it to the bottom. Russia's Prime Tass news agency quoted an official in the US administration as saying yesterday that two US submarines close to the Kursk heard a blast early on Sunday. Russia has said the crippled submarine poses no threat to the environment. It was carrying no nuclear weapons and the reactor which powers its engines has been shut down. Norwegian officials said there was no sign of a radiation leak. The vessel went down during training exercises on Sunday, about 85 miles from its base in Severomorsk.

16 August 2000 – The Russian navy said today that it will send another rescue capsule at 04.00, GMT, in a new attempt to save the 116 crew members of the nuclear submarine Kursk trapped on the bed of the Barents Sea after an accident. Two earlier dives yesterday and overnight to evacuate the crew, who are running out of oxygen after their vessel sank at the weekend, were called off because the capsules failed to dock with the submarine. The rescue operation has been hampered by stormy seas and poor visibility on the sea bed. Russian officials hope to evacuate the crew in groups of 15 to 20 in shuttle operations by two small bell-shaped rescue capsules. A Russian navy commander said yesterday that if attempts to rescue the Kursk team with capsules fail, the whole vessel will be lifted using 400-tonne inflatable pontoons.

16 August 2000 – Another attempt was being made today to dock a rescue capsule with nuclear powered Oscar II-class submarine Kursk. The crew's supply of oxygen was believed to be running out. The vessel has been stranded in Arctic waters in the Barents Sea since an unexplained accident on Saturday (August 12). Previous rescue efforts have failed because of strong underwater currents, poor visibility and the difficult angle at which the submarine is lying on the seabed. A second capsule has been brought in, for what is either the third or fourth rescue attempt. As the latest operation got underway, Russian Navy Commander, Admiral Vladimir Kuroyedov, said: "Now I am feeling more confidence that the operation to rescue the Kursk's crew will yield a result." According to some reports an improved capsule is being used in the latest operation. Other officials have given less positive assessments of the chances of rescuing the crew who are thought to have enough air to last until Friday (August 18) at best. Admiral Kuroyedov has dispatched his deputy to NATO headquarters in Brussels to discuss UK and US offers of help. The last attempt to link the rescue capsule with the submarine failed early this morning. The submarine is lying at a depth of more than 100 metres, about 135km north of the naval base at Severomorsk, inside the Arctic Circle. The rescue capsules can carry up to 20 people at a time, and would take about seven hours to resurface. The submarine has been lying on the seabed since Saturday, when an explosion is believed to have ripped through a torpedo tube during a military exercise. Russian officials believe that many of the 116 crew members could have died in the blast. Flooding has closed down the front sections of the vessel, forcing the survivors to the back. The survivors made contact with the rescue teams by banging on the hull of the submarine, but reports suggested that the signal grew weaker before going silent altogether. Admiral Kuroyedov said he was not surprised by the pause in tapping. He said that there was a need for the sailors to avoid physical effort to save oxygen, Nearly two-dozen Russian ships were on the surface above the submarine. Several countries, including the USA, France and the UK, have offered to send equipment to help the rescue operation. So far their offers have not been taken up. However, a group of Russian specialists has been talking with NATO about what sort of assistance it might offer. Russia has tried to reassure Norway that the nuclear-powered submarine does not pose an environmental threat.

16 August 2000 – A high-level Russian military delegation will talk to NATO tomorrow in Brussels about the rescue of 118 sailors trapped in nuclear submarine Kursk at the bottom of the Barents Sea, NATO sources said today. The mission by the Russians, led by Naval Vice Chief of Staff Alexandre Poboji, comes amid increasingly desperate attempts to save the lives of the sailors, whose oxygen supply is expected to run out on Friday (August 18). Interfax news agency said Russia had formally requested UK and Norwegian help.

17 August 2000 – UK forces equipped with a special rescue submarine were to embark from Norway today on a 50-hour sea voyage to recover 118 sailors trapped inside nuclear-powered Oscar II-class submarine Kursk. Russia finally requested outside help to rescue the men yesterday but fears were growing that it might be too late. The crew of the Kursk have been stranded at the bottom of the Barents Sea since Saturday (August 12). A Russian official said yesterday there was "no sign of life" on the submarine after the crew stopped tapping SOS signals on the hull. Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov said today that the situation was "next to catastrophic". UK naval experts and the mini-submarine were rushed to Trondheim to meet a specially equipped vessel, m supply vessel Normand Pioneer, which will ferry them to the scene. The vessel has cranes which can lift the rescue sub. A UK Ministry of Defence spokesman said the Normand Pioneer was due to leave Norway at around 07.00, UTC. "It's expected to reach the submarine late in the afternoon on Saturday, but that will be subject to weather conditions," he said. On board the Normand Pioneer is the mini-submarine, called an LR5, which will be sent down to the Kursk on the sea bed, 108 metres below the surface. Commander Mike Finney, a spokesman for the Royal Navy, said that the key to the LR5 was that it was not reliant on a surface vessel and could hold itself against the Kursk despite currents and rough seas. The LR5 has never been used in a real rescue operation, the Ministry of Defence said, but it was designed for just such a situation as that facing the Kursk. Carrying a crew of three – two pilots and a rescue chamber operator – the LR5 can act as an underwater lifeboat for up to 16 people at a time. Asked whether the crew would be strong enough to open the hatch from inside the submarine, Finney said he did not know what state they would be in. "We're not sure of the conditions inside the submarine. It could be that the hatches can be opened from the outside." The UK team is also equipped with a Scorpio remote controlled unit which can be used for reconnaissance and clearing obstructions. A support team includes spare crew, naval rescue co-ordinators, divers, doctors and medics.

17 August 2000 – UK defence officials say the nuclear submarine Kursk, lying on the floor of the Barents Sea, is so badly damaged that one of its escape hatches is unusable. They said a "high energy explosion" had affected an area from the nose to the central fin of the submarine. A UK rescue crew which has set off from the port of Trondheim with a mini rescue sub will therefore concentrate on a rear escape hatch. It remains unclear whether any of the submarine's 118 crewmen are still alive to open the hatch from the inside. There have been conflicting reports about the amount of oxygen on the submarine. Earlier the Russian authorities said it would last until tomorrow, but now they say it could last until August 25. The UK rescue team, and a group of Norwegian divers, will arrive on Saturday (August 19) at the earliest. So far, attempts by Russian rescue capsules to dock with the Kursk have been frustrated by strong underwater currents and poor visibility, though the weather is improving. The cause of the disaster is still unclear, but the UK officials, who have seen video of the Kursk lying on the seabed, said there was no doubt there had been an explosion.

20 August 2000 – D-e supply vessel Seaway Eagle is positioned directly over nuclear submarine Kursk, and Norwegian divers, with video equipment, went down to the submarine, today, in an attempt to find survivors, but Russian officials said all 118 seamen on board were probably dead. The rescue effort also involved a UK mini-submarine that waited its turn to dive into the depths of the northern Barents Sea. The Norwegian and UK teams were brought to the casualty site by two Norwegian vessels, which moved into position above the Kursk before dawn. The divers, working at a depth of 350 feet, will assess the damage sustained by the submarine when it sank August 12. The divers will try to manually unscrew the hatch leading to the submarine's escape chamber. Pressure-measuring devices, located inside the hatch, will indicate the conditions inside the Kursk. Pressure within the vessel must be low enough to provide for survival. The divers will also assess chances for the UK mini-submarine to latch on to the damaged escape hatch. The Russian ITAR-Tass news agency said rescuers would be using underwater robots to clear away debris. Russia's navy announced that most of the crew apparently died in the first minutes of the incident. The navy said there was no contact with the crew since August 14 and remarks from some officials indicated there had never been contact. Seas were calm in the rescue area, yesterday, for the first time in days. A government commission, investigating the disaster, said yesterday, that Kursk sustained a massive explosion which ripped through the confined spaces of the submarine. The explosion was apparently in the forward torpedo compartment, which was loaded with up to 30 warheads, but the cause of the explosion in unclear. US and Norwegian authorities detected two explosions in the area on August 12, at the time the Kursk was lost. There have been no reports of other vessels in the area with which the Kursk might have collided.

21 August 2000 – Rescue teams abandoned efforts today to find survivors in nuclear submarine Kursk after determining that all 118 crew members had perished in the flooded vessel. Norwegian and Russian officials in charge of rescue efforts concluded the submarine was completely flooded after it suffered a massive explosion and sank August 12 during naval exercises in the Barents Sea. "There was no longer hope of finding survivors in the Kursk," said a Norwegian statement. Norwegian divers who managed to open the escape hatch on the submarine today found no sign of survivors and confirmed that the Kursk was flooded, officials said. The rescue effort was now shifting to raising the submarine, an enormous task that could take weeks or even months. The Russian government was initially reluctant to announce the crew was dead. But Vice Admiral Mikhail Motsak, chief of the Northern Fleet, said this afternoon: "All sections were flooded and there are no survivors." Russian navy officials said no decision had been made about retrieving the bodies of the submarine's crew. There appeared to be no practical way of recovering the bodies short of raising the submarine. Russian officials said they were concentrating on raising the Kursk and recovering her two nuclear reactors. The Norwegian divers found no sign of radiation leaks today. New details continued to emerge of how severely the Kursk was damaged when she sank during naval exercises with reports from the sea bottom that large parts of the hull were literally ripped apart.

23 August 2000 – Any operation to lift nuclear submarine Kursk will take months of planning and so is unlikely until summer 2001, the Norwegian company whose divers opened the wreck said today. "Our feasibility study of raising the wreck or of recovering the bodies will take months," Julian Thomson, spokesman for Stolt Offshore, told Reuters. "In practical terms, I'd say that a lifting would be in summer next year at the earliest, if we can find a safe way of doing it." He said it would probably be easier to raise the entire wreck than open it and retrieve corpses. Stolt agreed yesterday to look at ways of raising the wreck or recovering the corpses. With the approach of winter, months of planning meant that any operation would have to wait until light and calmer seas to the Arctic Barents Seas in 2001.

25 August 2000 – Russian nuclear industry officials sought to reassure the public today that submarine Kursk, lying at the bottom of the Barents Sea, poses no threat to the environment. Tests carried out by Russian and Norwegian experts near the wreck have detected no radioactive contamination but ecological organisations have said it is only a matter of time before the submarine's two reactors leak. "The state of the main barriers which limit and contain the spread of radioactivity from the (reactor's) active zone … is such that it completely rules out the possibility of an ecological disaster from a radiation leak," Alexander Kiryushin, whose company designed the reactor, told a news conference. Kiryushin, flanked by a dozen nuclear officials and researchers, said experts from his design bureau had concluded that the Kursk reactors shut down seconds after the accident and that there was no risk of them restarting or blowing up. Ecologists, including the international pressure group Greenpeace, have called on Russia to lift the wreck, saying leaving it on the sea bed would inevitably lead to an environmental disaster. Russia has said it will consider lifting the Kursk although experts have expressed doubts about the project's feasibility. Vladimir Uryvsky, head of the Atomic Energy Ministry's division of navy power plants, said the submarine's reactors belonged to the third especially-safe generation of nuclear power generators, designed to withstand the most severe shocks. Uryvsky described the reactors as having only minimal piping for circulation of radioactive substances and a top-notch automatic shutdown system. Environmentalists say nuclear reactors' extensive piping is one of their most vulnerable points during a major accident. Viktor Zakharov, head of the navy's radiation, chemical and biological protection service, said there were plans to attach special detectors to the body of the submarine to allow real-time monitoring of the radiation situation on board. He said Russia would not hamper any international efforts to conduct independent monitoring of possible leaks from the Kursk. Uryvsky said the reactors' shells were made of extremely durable materials and would not be damaged by contact with sea water for dozens of years. He said extensive research of the damage to the hull needed to be carried out before any attempt to lift the Kursk to avoid it breaking in two and spewing radiation into the water.

1 September 2000 – Around 400 relatives of the submariners who died in the submarine Kursk tragedy have received 14.5 million roubles, US$ 922,073, in compensation from Russian military insurance, an insurance spokesman said today. Victims' wives, parents and children each have a right to the equivalent of 25 monthly salaries of the victim in question, insurance spokesman Andrei Bogdanov said. An officer in the Russian Navy receives 1,500 roubles per month while a sailor receives 800 roubles, he explained. The entire family of each victim also will receive compensation amounting to 120 monthly salaries, he added. In total, the Russian military insurance plans to pay some 23 million roubles to the relatives. Some 30 families may not receive compensation because they refuse to accept death certificates for the victims in their family. They have refused the certificates because the bodies of the submariners have not yet been brought to the surface, the Russian news agency Ria-Novosti reported. Relatives of deceased military personnel can receive compensation only if they present a death certificate, Russian law states. In the mean time, other groups and individuals have raised further forms of compensation. Businesses and private individuals have deposited some 45 million roubles in bank accounts in Moscow and New York.

12 September 2000 – Divers will begin recovering crew members' bodies from sunken nuclear submarine Kursk by the beginning of October and the vessel will be raised next year, a top Russian official said today. Russian and Norwegian divers are to cut holes in the hull of the submarine to reach the remains of the 118 crew members who perished. Deputy Prime Minister, Ilya Klebanov, said in St Petersburg that the operation would begin by the end of this month or early October and that the submarine-raising operation would take place next year. Russia's top nuclear official said today that the submarine's reactors were safely shut down and posed no threat to the environment that would require raising it from the sea floor.

12 September 2000 – Submarine Kursk was probably hit by a misfired torpedo during a Russian naval war games exercise, a member of the Russian parliamentary commission investigating the incident said today, according to Interfax. Sergei Zhekov, a member of the Federation Council (upper house), said Russian warship Peter the Great targeted the Kursk with five missiles during the training exercise but only four were found afterwards. "It looks most probable that the submarine was hit by the missing torpedo missile and collided with a Russian vessel. That vessel was probably the Peter the Great." Zherkov's claim comes a week after the German newspaper Berliner Zeitung reported that Russian security services had concluded the submarine sank after being hit by a torpedo from the Peter the Great on August 12. The Kremlin flatly denied the German newspaper report.

19 September 2000 – Russian President, Vladimir Putin, today gave the order to go ahead with a controversial operation to recover the bodies of 118 sailors from nuclear submarine Kursk which sank in August, a minister said. Deputy Prime Minister, Ilya Klebanov, who heads the government commission investigating the accident, said that an attempt to bring the sailors' remains to the surface would start in October. Russian military and government officials have faced a storm of public outrage over the way they handled initial attempts to save the crew of the submarine, which sank after a powerful blast in the Arctic Barents Sea. Putin and other officials promised soon after the disaster to try to recover the bodies well before an attempt to move the submarine to shallow waters is made next year. However, experts then said the operation, which would involve making holes in the Kursk and sending divers inside the damaged submarine, would be a risky and expensive undertaking complicated by seasonal storms in the area. Klebanov said last week the blast was so powerful that many of the bodies inside the Kursk were likely to be badly damaged. He said the operation could cause ethical problems and hinted that the operations could be called off. The Kursk is now lying on the seabed at a depth of 108 metres. It was badly damaged by two explosions during navy manoeuvres on August 12. Experts say divers will find it hard to squeeze in through narrow holes into the submarine and will have to work blind. They would also risk death if their suits were damaged. Russia wants Norwegian firm Stolt Offshore to take part in the operation, but a deal has not been reached yet because of differences over the price of the contract. Norwegians have suggested the bodies could be evacuated once the submarine is moved to shallow waters. Russia is now preparing its own divers at the Northern Fleet base of Severomorsk. Klebanov said that apart from an explosion of ammunition on board, a collision with an unidentified vessel or a sea mine were considered as possible initial causes of the accident. Russian officials have said the Kursk might have collided with a US submarine and asked to inspect vessels which were close to the disaster site at the time. Washington has turned down Russia's inspection request but provided sonar data. Klebanov also confirmed that plans to lift the Kursk next year were on, despite doubts expressed by specialists. The experts fear the submarine could break up and so increase the danger of radioactive contamination. Atomic Energy Minister, Yevgeny Adamov, has said it would be safer to leave the boat where it is. However, environment experts say that would simply turn the Kursk into a radioactive time bomb.

26 September 2000 – Negotiations are continuing to find a foreign company to assist in the recovery of bodies from the sunken Russian nuclear submarine Kursk. The builders of the vessel say talks are in progress with companies from Norway, the USA and Canada. They say the recovery of 118 crew from the Kursk, which sank after two explosions, is scheduled to begin in the Barents Sea next month. The Russian Government says the operation should not cost more than $US7 million. They also say foreign divers would not be allowed to enter the submarine, a task to be left for their Russian colleagues who have been practising on a similar vessel.

27 September 2000 – Russia will hire an unnamed Norwegian company to help retrieve the remains of 118 sailors from the sunken nuclear submarine Kursk. Deputy Prime Minister, Ilya Klebanov, who is overseeing the salvage operation, said that a contract would be initialled, on September 30, with a Norwegian company. Retrieval work would begin before October 10 and could be finished next month. Russian m research vessel Akademik Mstislav Keldysh arrived at the scene of the disaster on September 26, carrying Mir deep water capsules, to examine the submarine.

4 October 2000 – Russia has called in a US oil company to help to retrieve bodies from the sunken submarine Kursk. Russian divers trained by the oil giant, Halliburton, will begin raising victims from the Barents Sea on October 18, if weather permits. Halliburton won the contract because its charges were cheaper than those of rivals, Russian officials said. President Putin promised to recover the bodies soon after the submarine sank in August, although 78 relatives later asked that the operation should be delayed until the submarine itself could be raised with the crew. A spokesman for the Norwegian subsidiary of Halliburton said that Russian divers, monitored from a diving bell, would be lowered to the submarine and cut seven holes to enter. As few as 30 bodies are expected to be recovered due to the dangers and difficulties.

20 October 2000 – A mini-submarine explored the site of wrecked nuclear submarine Kursk today as divers prepared to try to retrieve the bodies of the 118-man crew, Russia's partner in the salvage project said. Deep-sea divers may visit the Kursk within 24 hours after initial radiation checks proved negative, Birger Haraldseid, spokesman for the Norwegian arm of US oil firm Halliburton said. "The team is progressing with the first phase of the operation. They've taken water, air and seabed samples," he said, adding that the mini-sub, equipped with lights and camera, had begun to study the site of the disaster. Divers could face grave danger trying to enter the Kursk, not only from intense cold and darkness more than 100 metres down, but also from jagged metal debris inside the wreck that could puncture their survival suits. Radiation authorities said preliminary tests showed no sign of radiation leaks from the Kursk. "There is so far no sign of radioactive leaks," the Norwegian Radiation Protection Authority said in a statement. "Further testing will be conducted in the coming days both inside and outside the submarine. Further details about the testing will be ready on Monday," (October 23) it said. Two Norwegian radiation experts on board the Regalia platform, which arrived at the Barents Sea site before dawn on Friday, would conduct regular Geiger counter checks, Haraldseid said. That would give the go ahead for the divers, although Russian officials have become more and more cautious. Yesterday, Kuroyedov said he would cancel the plan to raise the bodies if it looked likely to place the divers in too much danger, and Haraldseid admitted there was some apprehension in the team preparing to visit the underwater tomb. "They have trained for this back in Norway but it is something new to cut on a submarine. With a wreck there are many unknowns, especially when no one has seen what's inside," he said. Haraldseid said Norwegian divers would do most of the survey work and cut holes in the sub, but faced a tough job getting through several layers of what he called "metal and surfacing". Only a Russian military diver would go inside the vessel if it was deemed safe to do so, he added. Interfax news agency quoted Deputy Prime Minister, Ilya Klebanov, as saying the start date for the recovery operation would be Tuesday or Wednesday. However, Haraldseid said the divers were keen to get started. "When they agree the time to go to operational depth, they can be ready in seconds," he said. "We need to cut the first hole and then we'll know what we have to do."

21 October 2000 – Russian and Norwegian divers started cutting their way into nuclear submarine Kursk today. The divers made holes in the outer hull of the eighth and ninth compartments of the submarine and will probably try to complete penetration of the inner hull Tuesday (October 24), Interfax news agency quoted a spokesman for the Northern Fleet. RTR television reported from the scene of the recovery operation that the divers had struggled to remove a tough rubber lining from the outer hull and this had slowed work. The divers could get into the area between the two hulls tomorrow or Monday (October 23). Weather conditions were getting worse, although the preparatory work could still continue. The divers have to make seven holes in the Kursk, to reach every corner of the submarine. Six three-man crews were working non-stop. Another eight divers were preparing themselves for the mission. The operation is being conducted from the Norwegian offshore platform Regalia, which reached the area Friday. It is being run by the Norwegian arm of US oil services firm, Halliburton. Navy commander Admiral Vladimir Kuroyedov instructed divers on Friday not to attempt to do anything that could endanger their lives.

23 October 2000 – Russian and Norwegian divers, struggling to beat a storm brewing in the Barents Sea, started to cut a manhole today in the rigid hull of the sunken nuclear submarine Kursk to retrieve the remains of its 118 crew. Penetrating the inner hull is the toughest challenge facing the divers at this stage. A worker who took part in building the Kursk told Russian television that cutting into four inches of reinforced metal was a daunting task even in a dry dock. Igor Dygalo, the head of the navy press service, said the divers were putting in place a cutting machine to make a hole large enough to allow one man to enter the vessel. RIA news agency quoted Vladimir Navrotsky, the Northern Fleet spokesman, as saying today that the work would take at least 15 hours and could be finished early tomorrow. Yesterday, the divers drilled a hole in the rigid hull to inspect the submarine's eighth compartment with a video camera. They found conditions inside safe. To gain access to the rigid hull, the divers have had to cut through the outer hull and its rubber lining and clear an area of about seven feet, housing extensive piping. Russia's NTV television said weather in the Arctic waters was rapidly worsening, increasing the risk of delays. Dygalo said another hole was being cut over a neighbouring compartment of the Kursk, the seventh compartment. It is believed some sailors could have been at their posts there when two explosions, the exact origin of which is still unknown, sank the submarine. He said the divers were feeling well and were expected to work throughout the day. The operation is being run by the Norwegian arm of US oil services firm, Halliburton. Norwegian divers have been doing most of the survey work and cutting holes in the sub. But only Russian military divers will actually go inside the vessel.

23 October 2000 – Bad weather has forced divers to suspend efforts to recover the bodies of 118 sailors who died in nuclear submarine Kursk. Storm-force winds and six-metre waves hit the recovery area in the Barents Sea, 150km (95 miles) off Russia's north-west coast today. An international team of deep sea divers had cut away pipes and cables which had been obstructing access to the inner hull of Kursk. Work had begun on the difficult task of cutting a main entry hole when the operation was suspended. The weather is expected to subside tomorrow, giving divers at least two relatively calm days, before more violent storms are forecast at the site.

25 October 2000 – Russian and Norwegian deep-sea divers have cut a hole in the hull of the sunken nuclear submarine Kursk after an all-night operation. Radiation levels on the Russian submarine must be checked and a remote television camera installed before the Russian naval commander decides if it is safe to send in divers to begin recovering bodies. Victims' relatives have urged Russian President Vladimir Putin not to risk the divers' lives by rushing an operation to raise the bodies. Gale force winds and nine-metre high waves in the Barents Sea had halted the operation to recover bodies on Monday (October 23). But better weather yesterday allowed the divers to resume their efforts. A navy spokesman had said earlier that a storm warning had been issued for Thursday at the site. The divers, operating from the Norwegian offshore platform Regalia, will have to make seven holes in the Kursk to reach each corner of the 154-metre vessel. If the decision is made to proceed, only Russian divers will go inside the Kursk, while their UK and Norwegian team-mates will assist with the operation from inside a diving bell.

26 October 2000 – Russian divers have, overnight, raised a fourth body from nuclear submarine Kursk, after recovering the bodies of three sailors yesterday. Recovery work was postponed, due to the harsh Arctic weather, commander of the Northern fleet, Admiral Vyacheslav Popov, said today. The fourth corpse was found during a search of the eighth and ninth compartments. A Russian diver entered Kursk mid-afternoon to search for the crew. In total, the team of six Norwegian and 12 Russian divers, are expecting to find the bodies of 20 sailors in the rear three compartments in the Kursk.

19 August 2000 – Yangtze River

A report, dated August 18, states: Liu Qiang, a state functionary, has been arrested for negligence for failing to prevent a major boat accident, which occurred on the upper reaches of the Yangtze River on June 22 and killed 130 people on board passenger vessel Rong Jiang when she capsized. The Procuratorate of Hejiang County confirmed that as head of the Rongshan Station, where the boat capsized, Liu turned a blind eye and allowed the boat to be overloaded with people and did not perform a safety inspection. Liu's negligence resulted in the people's deaths and direct economic losses of over 3 million yuan, hence, he could not shrug off his responsibility, the Procuratorate said. Liu is the first State functionary arrested for this case. The owner of the boat, the boat's captain and several members of the ship's crew were arrested earlier.

5 September 2000 – Indonesia

Rescuers continued to search yesterday for survivors of wooden coastal vessel Mulya Star carrying 43 passengers and crew that capsized close to Indonesia's eastern Malukus archipelago, a rescue official said. Major Hendri Suprianto said 17 people from the coastal freighter were still unaccounted for, nearly three days after the wooden-hulled vessel went down. So far 23 survivors have been picked up from the water along with three bodies, the naval officer said. The vessel was on her way from Seram Island to Probolinggo, East Java, officials said. She was carrying 100 tonnes of dried coconut and 20 tonnes of cloves. Suprianto said that three warships, a Nomad maritime surveillance aircraft, and a number of fishing boats were still searching for survivors.

29 September 2000 – the Aegean Sea

Fishermen and navy divers found ten more bodies from m ro-ro passenger vessel Express Samina today, raising the death toll to 75, authorities said. Authorities said the latest victims were all passengers on the Express Samina. Some bodies were found in the wreckage of the ferry, while others were floating in some of the remote coves. The ferry's captain, first officer and two crew members were to testify Sunday (October 1) before an investigating magistrate on the nearby island of Syros, the region's administrative capital.

29 September 2000 – A press report from Paros, dated September 29, states: The master of m ro-ro passenger vessel Express Samina admitted he was asleep just before the accident, according to testimony reported today. Divers pulled more bodies from the Aegean waters, bringing the death toll to 75. Some of the bodies were found caught by their lifejackets in the wreckage, divers said. Other bodies were floating in remote coves. At least 14 people were known to be missing, mainly Greeks, but also an Albanian, a Russian and a Spaniard, the Merchant Marine ministry said. Rescuers brought 108 foreign tourists and 365 Greek passengers to safety. Captain Vassilis Yannakis allegedly told investigators he was taking a nap, according to testimony carried in the daily Ta Nea today. First officer Anastasios Psychoyos said, late yesterday, that the weather pushed them on the rocks and that they had maintained a safe distance. He told investigators he saw the rocks at the last minute and ordered the helmsman to turn the vessel. "When I saw the ship was headed for the two rocks I personally grabbed the wheel and turned hard left. The bad thing happened though. It is my fault," he was quoted by the daily Eleftherotypia. For two days, divers were hampered by gale force winds and strong currents that prevented them from descending to the wreck. High winds also kept local fishing boats and other vessels from joining the rescue effort. In improved weather today, divers found Express Samina on her side in the sand in 115 feet of clear water. A gash ran the length of its bottom starboard side. Three people were found wedged in the railings, stuck by their life vests as they tried to squeeze through. Another woman was in a life raft, said diver Lazaros Christodoulou. The water's surface was still rough, with 20-foot waves and high winds. Underwater, the current was so strong that it ripped one body from divers' hands and had to be recovered on the surface far from the wreck, Christodoulou said. "It was chaos down there with debris," he said.

30 September 2000 – A total of 452 people have been rescued from m ro-ro passenger vessel Express Samina, with 76 confirmed dead. Operations to recover victims are continuing.

24 October 2000 – More than 60 passenger ferries confined to port for safety reasons following a deadly maritime disaster last month have been allowed to sail, Greek authorities said today. The Merchant Marine Ministry said all but three of 67 banned vessels have had their operating licences returned after meeting a 20-day deadline to comply with safety regulations. The deadline expired Saturday (October 21). Ministry officials said two of the three vessels still banned from sailing had been granted an extension to finish repairs this week. The third faces an indefinite ban. The ban was imposed after 80 people died after the ro-ro m ferry Express Samina struck rocks and sank off the island of Paros on September 26.

25 October 2000 – Eighteen crew members of ro-ro m ferry Express Samina that sank last month with the lost of 80 lives have filed a lawsuit seeking compensation from the ship's owning company Minoan Flying Dolphins (MFD), while an Athens court has banned MFD from selling or transferring its fixed assets, pending the hearing of all compensation actions filed by the shipwreck's survivors and the victims' bereaved relatives. The crewmembers are seeking a total of drachma 2.9 billion from MFD, claiming that the sinking has rendered them nervous wrecks. So far, MFD has been served with 19 claims related to the Express Samina sinking, cumulatively amounting to drachma 11 billion.

17 November 2000 – Greece's Ministry of Merchant Marine has been attacked again in the snowballing inquiry sparked by the September sinking of ro-ro m ferry Express Samina with an investigating prosecutor's revelation that the same vessel was allowed to sail without seaworthiness papers last summer. For this, Piraeus magistrate, Grigoris Peponis, has filed charges of breaching safety and endangering lives against the former head of the merchant ship inspectorate, Damianos Doumanis, and the head of the Coast Guard's office, Antonis Pitsoulakis. The sailing in question took place on July 18, reportedly three days before the Express Samina was in possession of a full set of safety certificates. These remained current until the vessel sank with the loss of 80 lives off Paros on the night of September 26. One copy of the file on the vessel's seaworthiness was sent directly to parliament, promoting speculation that the prosecutors' office believes there may be a case against the ministry's political leadership, either under former minister, Stavros Soumakis, or incumbent, Christos Papoutsis, who took over the job only after April's general election. Mr Peponis' set of charges is the widest to be issued so far in connection with the Express Samina and they include misdemeanour complaints against the Coast Guard's top man, vice-admiral Andreas Syrigos, and his two deputies, who allegedly took no action after complaints on July 19 that ferries were not complying with safety requirements. Also charged is the vessel's owner, Minoan Flying Dolphins, accused by the prosecutor of morally instigating a crime by loading passengers and vehicles for the unorthodox sailing in July so as to pressure the authorities into allowing the departure. According to the prosecutor, the vessel left port only after her master and superintendent mechanic signed statements taking responsibility for the passengers' safety. An investigation into the sinking itself is being separately conducted by the regional prosecutors' office for the Cycladic islands and is currently sifting through physical evidence brought to the surface by divers, who have also filmed the wreck in detail. Parliament has already voted against a controversial motion by former conservative opposition leader, Miltiades Evert, that it should conduct its own inquiry into political responsibilities for the Express Samina sinking. Meanwhile, the civil courts have begun to shift a stack of lawsuits brought against MFD by victims' relatives, survivors and crew members. The shipping company has appealed against the first decision, handed down by an Athens court last week, to award passenger, Stathis Livieratos, Dr100 million ($250,000) in damages. Noting it was insured by the West of England P&I Club for liabilities to all injured parties, MFD said the bank guarantee for this amount would be placed with the court within the regulation three days.

16 November 2000 – Coast of Newfoundland

The owners of m bulk carrier Flare that sank south of Newfoundland two years ago, killing 21 seamen, are now facing a $7.5-million lawsuit claiming they ignored rules that would have made the vessel seaworthy. Three survivors, all from the Philippines, have joined relatives of those who died to seek compensation from the vessel's owners and operators through the Federal Court of Canada. In a statement of claim, the group's lawyer says the vessel's owners "showed disregard for the preservation of life" when they knowingly allowed Flare to sail without enough ballast on board. As a result, the bow of the empty vessel was riding too high in the water, leaving her vulnerable to "slamming" by the big waves that are common on the North Atlantic during the winter, the document says. "The defendants knowingly and recklessly disregarded the instructions pertaining to ballasting and minimum draughts contained in the vessel's loading manual," the statement says. "This wilful and reckless conduct was the direct cause of the sinking of Flare and of the damages suffered by the plaintiffs." The claim also alleges the owners and operators: knew the 26-year-old vessel was "in a deteriorated condition" due to lack of repairs and corrosion, yet spent the "minimum sums" to allow the vessel to remain insured; destroyed the vessel's maintenance file after litigation started; failed to ensure life-saving equipment and emergency beacons were properly maintained and installed; failed to instruct the crew on where to find immersion suits, which can prolong life in cold water, and how to abandon ship. All of these allegations have yet to be proven in court. Meanwhile, ship owner ABTA Shipping Co. Ltd, Nicosia, Cyprus, and operator Trade Fortune Inc., Piraeus, Greece, have yet to file a statement of defence. Daniele Dion, the Montreal lawyer who represents the two companies, said her clients maintain that determining proper ballast levels was the sole responsibility of the vessel's master. "The policy is that they've always left ballasting up to the master – it's the normal way to do things," Dion said in an interview. She also insisted Flare was in better shape than the plaintiffs have suggested. As for the allegation that the Flare's crew was ill-prepared to deal with an emergency, Dion said each sailor was hired on the condition he met certain safety-training standards. However, Dion confirmed new crew members picked up in Rotterdam did not have time to take part in safety drills and the rough weather made it impossible to conduct them during the voyage.

1 October 2000 – Ireland

Irish emergency services searched late into today for eight crewmen from m stern trawler An Oriant (268 gt, built 1976) which sank in heavy seas off the west coast. Dublin MRCC said the vessel foundered within seconds after being swamped by a giant wave in storm conditions early today. An Irish Coastguard helicopter managed to pluck three of the 11 crew from the water. Coastguard and Irish Air Corps aircraft were continuing their search for other survivors late in the afternoon, helped by six fishing vessels, the MRCC said. Six of the missing crew were from France, one was a Portuguese national and one was from the Republic of Ireland. The vessel, battered by 20-foot waves and 50-knot winds, went down some 57 miles off the west coast of Ireland, the MRCC said. The three survivors, who spent four hours clinging to a lifebuoy, were flown to a hospital in Galway city on the west coast to be treated for hypothermia and shock. "Just me and two crewmen, we just had time to get out. It was not possible to transmit a distress message," skipper Lerude Xavier told state broadcaster RTE Television from Galway University Hospital.

2 October 2000 – M stern trawler An Oriant: Air and sea search is continuing for the eight missing crew members. No more survivors are expected to be found. Irish authorities have called off their search for eight crewmen missing from m stern trawler An Oriant, which sank in heavy seas off Ireland's west coast yesterday. Coastguard said today there was little hope of finding any of the men alive after they combed 1,500 square kilometres of ocean without success for two days. Surface searches stopped as darkness fell and were not expected to resume tomorrow. However, a French surveillance aircraft will make a final run over the area where the vessel foundered, the ministry said. The eight crewmen went missing after the vessel was swamped by a giant wave early yesterday, sinking within seconds amid 50-knot winds. A Coastguard helicopter plucked three of the 11 crew, including the skipper, from the water. All three were suffering severe hypothermia after several hours in the sea.

The Department of the Marine said the vessel had sunk so rapidly there had been no time to man lifeboats or even to put on lifejackets. A French military aircraft today joined an Irish Coastguard helicopter in an aerial search, while French and Spanish fishing vessels searched the area where the vessel foundered, 110km off Kerry Head.

3 October 2000 – Ireland

M side trawler Arosa (248 gt, built 1974) sank in rough seas off western Ireland today, killing three crewmen. A fourth was rescued, and up to nine were missing. The Irish Coastguard, fishing vessels in the area and French aircraft were searching the waters. The surviving crew member was hospitalised in serious condition, the Coastguard said. The Arosa radioed a distress call at 05.00 hrs when she ran into difficulty 13 miles off Slyne Head in County Galway.

The trawler operates out of the Spanish port of Marin but under a British flag.

3 October 2000 – Sea search by three helicopters, lifeboat, naval vessel and several fishing vessels continued during daylight. Search suspended at 16.50, UTC, due deteriorating weather. Five bodies recovered and taken to Galway Hospital. Seven people still missing.