PNG ferry captain admits checks not done

The man at the helm of one of Papua New Guinea's worst ferry disasters has admitted to gambling with the lives of passengers because vital stability checks had not been completed in more than a decade.

Captain Anthony Tsiau, 54, was at the helm of the 21-year-old Japanese-built passenger ferry MV Rabaul Queen when it sank in rough seas off the coast of PNG's second largest city, Lae, on February 2.

The exact number of dead remains unclear. The ship was licensed to carry 310, but relatives of the dead and some survivors say it was overcrowded, with as many as 550 on board.

There were 237 survivors.

Captain Tsiau told a commission of inquiry in Rabaul, New Britain Province, that no stability calculation had been conducted on the MV Rabaul Queen since 1999.

A stability calculation is vital for determining how many passengers can board the vessel.

"Is it correct, therefore, to say that you've never ever - ever done a stability calculation in relation to the Rabaul Queen," counsel assisting the inquiry Mal Varitimos asked Captain Tsiau on Friday.

"Yes," Capt Tsiau said.

"Captain, how can you safely carry passengers, as a captain, if you do not do stability calculations? Or do you agree that if you can't do stability calculations it becomes unsafe, potentially, for passengers and crew, is that right? Is that correct? Is that correct, Captain?" Mr Varitimos asked.

"Yes," Capt Tsiau answered, agreeing that without a stability book or some stability information being provided, necessary calculations could not be carried out.

In the 20th hour of its journey from Kimbe, West New Britain, to Lae the ferry was rocked by three huge waves during unexpectedly rough weather.

As it capsized and sank, passengers scrambled to escape into the water. Many ingested fuel and other chemicals which spilled into the water.

The commission of inquiry before Justice Warwick Andrew is continuing.

Photo: Getty Images