Class society to expedite MOL Comfort inquiry

   The ship classification society Nippon Kaiji Kyokai (ClassNK) said it will expedite its investigation of the break-up of the containership MOL Comfort, but said the inquiry will be complicated by the fact that both halves of the ship have now sunk.
    The ship broke in half on June 17, and the stern sank 10 days later.
    The fore section, which Class NK said “was expected to provide investigators with valuable information on the cause of the casualty” sank July 11.
    “In view of these unfortunate circumstances, the ClassNK Casualty Investigation Team will expedite the investigation into the cause of the incident, and expects to consolidate its preliminary findings by early September 2013,” it said.
    The ship is registered in the Bahamas, and that country’s Maritime Authority will conduct its own investigation. – Chris Dupin