BUSAN - A state maritime tribunal in Busan ruled on Tuesday that Polaris Shipping Co., a global shipping company, was responsible for the sinking of the South Korean bulk carrier, Stellar Daisy, in the South Atlantic in 2017. This incident tragically resulted in the loss of 22 crew members.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the Busan Regional Maritime Safety Tribunal, the sinking of the Stellar Daisy, which occurred on March 31, 2017, was due to the company's failure to maintain the vessel properly. The ship, carrying 260,000 tons of iron ore, sank suddenly, leaving only two Filipino sailors rescued out of the 24-person crew, including eight Korean and 16 Filipino sailors.
The tribunal highlighted that Polaris Shipping installed an unauthorized wastewater storage device on the ship's bottom and failed to inspect or strengthen the ship's hull. Furthermore, the company neglected necessary repairs for safely loading cargo, allowing the Stellar Daisy to embark without the required hull reinforcement.
However, the Korea Register of Shipping was acquitted by the tribunal, citing the lack of a direct causal link between the ship inspection agency and the ship's sinking.
This ruling is anticipated to influence ongoing civil and criminal proceedings related to the disaster. In 2021, the CEO of Polaris Shipping was sentenced to six months in prison for violating the Ship Safety Act, with the final verdict from the Supreme Court pending. Additionally, in 2022, seven individuals, including the CEO, were indicted on charges of ship-burying and manslaughter by negligence, with these trials still ongoing.