Owner of lost tug charged with culpable homicide
Indian authorities bring charges against owner of the Varaprada after it was lost during Cyclone Tauktae.
A charge of culpable homicide has been brought against the owner of the ocean-going tug, Varaprada, that sank during a powerful storm off the coast of India last month.
The Hindustan Times is quoting the surviving second engineer, Francis Simon, as accusing the vessel’s owner of poor maintenance of the vessel and skipping necessary repairs.
The Varaprada and barge P305 sank when Tauktae passed offshore of Mumbai, with the loss of several hundred lives.
11 of the 13 crew aboard the Varaprada were lost in the storm. The barge Gal Constructor, which was under tow, separated from the tug and ran aground with 137 people aboard. 75 bodies were later recovered.
The police in Mumbai are conducting a separate investigation into the circumstances of the loss of the barge P305.
