NOVOROSSIISK, October 27 (RIA Novosti) - Force majeure is to blame for the sinking of a Russian cargo ship in the Sea of Japan, the head of the Federal Agency for Sea and Inland Water Transportation said Friday.
The ship Sinegorye, which was transporting timber, sank Monday when a sudden heavy storm broke out. Eleven sailors out of the 18-man crew were found alive and two were found dead. The other five have not been found.
"Most likely, the reason for the shipwreck was a set of fatal force majeure circumstances," Alexander Davydenko said. "I would not agree that the crew could be to blame. The ship had an experienced crew and an experienced captain."
However, he said, the ship exceeded the recommended speed. "They were going nine knots, while they should have been going five-six knots," the agency head said.
Speaking about the technical condition of the Sinegorye, Davydenko said it was good and that the ship had passed all necessary checks. "There can be no question about it," he said.
Davydenko said a rescue service informed the Sinegorye crew when it saw such a serious situation at sea. "As a result, the sailors managed to put on wetsuits in time, making it possible to float for a long time in the water, and this partly accounted for the survival of most of the crew," he said.
