DMW considering legal action after North Sea ship collision

The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) is currently evaluating the possibility of filing a complaint after MV Solong, a container ship that carried Filipino crew, collided with an oil tanker off the northeastern coast of England last week.

According to Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Cacdac, “We’re looking into the legal ramifications of this. There are reports suggesting negligence on the part of the captain, so we’re carefully looking into this, and definitely legal action will be forthcoming if our lawyers do find that there is a need to file a case.”

The DMW is also working to repatriate the Filipino crew members aboard the vessel.

In addition, the agency has extended assistance to the family of the missing Filipino seafarer.

Cacdac stated, “We have reached out to the family of the missing seafarer and assured the spouse, the wife, of our full assistance.”

A recent report revealed that the Russian captain of the cargo ship involved in the North Sea incident, Vladimir Motin, 59, appeared in court on Saturday, facing charges of gross negligence manslaughter. He was remanded in custody after appearing before magistrates in Hull and did not enter a plea. Motin is scheduled to appear again at the Old Bailey in London on April 14.

MV Solong, registered under the Portuguese flag, collided with the fuel-laden tanker Stena Immaculate, which was anchored off the coast of Hull when the crash happened on March 10. The collision resulted in both vessels catching fire. Stena Immaculate is a US-flagged tanker that had been chartered by the US military. —VBL, GMA Integrated News