Road accidents, rail accidents, Air accidents, sea accidents

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Road accidents, rail accidents, Air accidents, sea accidents

 

Road Safety incorporates the development and management of road infrastructure, provision of safer vehicles, legislation and law enforcement, mobility planning, provision of health and hospital services, child safety, urban land use planning etc. Its ambit spans engineering aspects of both, roads and vehicles on one hand and the provision of health and hospital services for trauma cases (in post-crash scenario) on the other. Road safety is a shared, multiSectoral, responsibility of the government and a range of civil society stakeholders. According to WHO statistics (year 2002) about 11.8 lakh people die every year in road accidents, the world over, of which 84,674 deaths are reported to take place in India. In 2004 the number of deaths had increased to 92,618. The mortality rate in India is 8.7 per hundred thousand population as compared to 5.6 in UK, 5.4 in Sweden, 5.0 in The Netherlands and 6.7 in Japan. In terms of mortality per 10,000 vehicles, the rate in India is as high as 14 as compared to less than two in developed countries. The cost of road crashes has been assessed at one to two per cent of GDP in developed countries. A study by the Planning Commission in 2002 estimated the social cost of road accidents in India at Rs.55000 crore annually (2000 prices), which constitutes about 3% of the GDP.

There is an alarming increase in road accidents on Indian roads, at a rate of 8% per year while the population of the country has increased by only 2.1%. In fact, out of one lakh accidental deaths in India, road accidents, alone account for as many as 60,000 lives. The statistics for the country indicate that there is an alarming increase both in the number of deaths and those injured. The problem of Road Traffic Accident has assumed alarming proposition with ever increasing number of motor vehicles competing for the limit  paved space. The resultant congestion in traffic is inevitable and the consequences are  road accidents. Road safety, as a problem, has been analysed in many different ways. Prominent amongst them are the four basic elements; 1) Machine Factor, 2) Human Factor, 3) Engineering Factor and 4) Environment Factor.

 Many countries including India have designed road safety strategies but the success of road safety strategies in all countries depends upon a broad base of support and common action from all stakeholders. Thus, this session in the Disaster Management Congress would encompass various issues pertaining to Road Accidents and Road Safety.

Although mortality rate due to road accidents are assuming disastrous proportions of an epidemic, yet, it does not find a place in disaster list. Road is the most unsafe and complex mode of transport. Every year around 1.2 million deaths occur due to road accidents all over the world, out of which, 80-85% deaths occur poor and developing countries and 70% of these deaths are of vulnerable group viz. pedestrians, cyclists and two wheeler riders.

Road accidents do not get the same media attention as other disasters get. Accidents in India, the alarming rise in death in road accidents leading the World table in number of road accidents with about 114 thousand deaths being reported. It was emphasized that the interventions made by developed countries like political commitment at highest level for reducing road accidents, policy and strategy formulation for looking at road safety issues as multi-dimensional and multi sectoral problem, legal and regulatory backing up of such policies and establishment of a lead agency with adequate power and funds to coordinate implementation of such policies and strategies, can also be adopted in developing countries.

The recommendations to combat the menace of road accidents of the National Committee on Road safety and Traffic Management, it was pointed out that Government of India has yet to take decision on the recommendations of the Committee.

“Perspective on Road Safety in India”, highlighted the fact that despite large number of accidents taking place round the year, there has been no focus on maintaining database on accidents. While going into the reasons,  mentioned about the US standards & practices, it was stated that in USA an integrated approach (a combination of user and commonsense based approach and scientific and research based approach) has been adopted.

The accidents in night are mainly due to alcohol, conspicuity and high speed. The culture is not a determining factor for accidents. While giving the similar speech it was mentioned that only 7 vehicles per 100 persons are available in India which was much less than other countries but the fatality rate per 1 lakh persons was as high as 9.5% which was much higher than other countries. The need of the hour is to focus on finding new solutions which can change the existing approach through studies and research. There is a an urgent need to change the road design, enforcement of speed controls, provision of lane for pedestrians, random checks for alcohol intoxication ban on free left turns, compulsory road safety courses in all civil engineering departments, strict implementation of legal provisions and funding of research and scientific studies on reduction of road accidents resulting in deaths.

Possibility of banning of free left turn on roads through regulations and changing of road designs without IRC regulation, regulations are only recommendatory and hence the focus of road designs should be more to provide pedestrian rights than luxury to car owners as policy should be to reduce deaths than reduce traffic delays due to jams.

“Road crashes and deaths in India: Need for integrated policies and programmes”. Recent years have witnessed rapid motorisation, urbanisation, industrialisation, migration and other changes consequent to globalisation and liberalising economic policies of successive governments in India. An accompanying effect of these changes is the increasing road crashes and deaths due to lack of safety policies and programmes. The psychological suffering of individuals and families are hard to measure and are better realised with interaction of survivors. Various areas of concern for fatalities in Road accidents as delay in seeking care, medico-legal issues, lack of information, affordability of hospital care and lack of trauma audits. Road crashes are predictable and preventable and can be controlled effectively, if safety of people on roads is given importance by government, professionals, vehicle manufacturers and the civil society and adequate changes are made in curriculum of Nursing and Medical education to include road safety and injury prevention.

A Safe systems approach for making safe roads and safe vehicles to ensure road safety. If focus of all concerned, shifts to pre-hospital trauma care issues and acute hospital care facility provision, the deaths due to accidents can be reduced considerably. In order to have a better trauma care facility, district hospitals can be transformed into Integrated Trauma care centres.

The entire issue of road traffic injury is closely linked to physiological limits of individuals. While comparing the practices in Europe etc., improvement in car designs had reduced the deaths due to road accidents however, in our country improvement in the design is not possible but at the same time by making vehicles satisfying a pedestrian impact standard, providing proper lighting facility for better visibility would surely reduce the mortality rate in road accidents. Awareness is the key for both reduction in deaths and for law enforcement.

“Road accidents - The man made disasters”. There is no provision in Motor Vehicles Act to curb wrong habits of driving such as wrong use of signals, misunderstand or ignore markings painted on road, give signal to be overtaken at wrong time and lack of knowledge of lane driving in case of 4 lane or 6 lane Highway or Express way. Various lacunae/ gaps in the present Motor Vehicle Act 1988. The gaps identified that, there are no specification of diseases which are a disqualification in obtaining the driving license and no provision of caution or prohibition of consumption of certain medicines before/during driving. Ignorance about driving and overtaking, consumption of prohibited medicines and non-inclusion of road signs in the Motor vehicle Act, etc. seem to be some of the main reasons for road accidents.

“Road Accidents Mitigation Program”. Various reasons for an increase in the road accidents in recent past, such as timing, driving by minor, speed, poor visibility, poor maintenance of vehicles, stray cattle, lack of awareness, road designs, etc. In order to minimize the number and the impact of road accidents, major focus should be on implementation of the recommendations of various committees and the provisions of law. Material used for construction of road dividers can be hard rubber, which will absorb the impact of collision of the vehicle with the divider. More funds should be allocated to improve road conditions and widening of roads on highways and also within city limits that be achieved through a dedicated road safety department and appropriate awareness campaigns.

Ban on free left turn, implementation of pedestrian rights, wearing of helmets, enforcement of speed limits, awareness about the dangers of drunken driving, improvement of road designs, proper lighting facilities on vehicles for better visibility. Fixation of maximum responsibility of death due to road accidents on drivers and provision of immediate compensation in such cases.

“Road Accidents: A case study of ECR, Chennai”. A study has been conducted on Traffic Accident Prevention on East Coast Road with an objective to identify various black spots all along the stretch of the study and recommend some remedial measures for reducing the number of accidents. He added that roads are the choicest mode of transport, which provides the best connectivity, as compared to the other modes. The developed economy and increased buying capacity of the common man has resulted in the increased automobile population and with a better quality road-network, there is an exponential growth of traffic along the roads, which in-turn is also the cause for increased Road Accidents. After the study few of the recommendations like use of reflective road signs, illuminated sign boards at night, spot speed data collection and Traffic volume data collection are in progress.

Recommendations Strict implementation of laws and measures for road safety.™ Special awareness drive on road safety issues among all stakeholders.™ Establishment of a Lead Agency for implementation of Policies and Strategies of road ™ safety and funding research and scientific studies in the subject.  Collection and Compilation of data base on Road accidents.™ Establishment of expertise in every place of learning.™ Induction of experts in decision making bodies.™ Introducing ‘Road accident courses’ as mandatory subject in all Civil engineering ™ departments. Rectification of faulty road designs after carrying out scientific studies. ™ Amendments in the provisions of Motor vehicle act.™ Adoption of a coordinated and integrated safe systems approach.™ Special Trauma care for patients.™ Establishing a dedicated Road safety department in each State.™ Use of reflective road signs, illuminated Sign boards

A train wreck or train crash is a type of disaster involving one or more trains. Train wrecks often occur as a result of miscommunication, as when a moving train meets another train on the same track; or an accident, such as when a train wheel jumps off a track in a derailment; or when a boiler explosion occurs. Train wrecks have often been widely covered in popular media and in folklore.

A head-on collision between two trains is colloquially called a "cornfield meet" in the US

The world’s worst train disasters

Many of the worst train accidents in history occurred in the early 20th and 21st centuries, a testament to the march of technology and the importance of railway safety. The causes behind most of these disasters could be nailed down to brake failures, derailments or accidental fires. Railway-technology.com lists the 10 worst train accidents in the world.

Queen of The Sea, Sri Lanka

The Queen of The Sea train crash in Sri Lanka, caused by the Indian Ocean Tsunami which struck in December 2004, is regarded as the worst train disaster in railroad history after it caused the death of over 1,700 people.

The overloaded passenger train, Queen of the Sea Line, was flooded on the south-western coastal railway line of Sri Lanka, at Peraliya near Telwatta. The train was drowned and destroyed by two waves causing death of passengers who were packed in eight carriages.

The train was approaching its destination on the way from Colombo to the southern city of Galle at the time of the tragedy. The Queen of The Sea returned to the Peraliya station with its restored locomotive in December 2008 and was put back into service on the coastal line.

Bihar derailment, India

A train accident in the state of Bihar, India, which resulted in the death of approximately 800 people, occurred in June 1981 when a passenger train crossing a bridge over the Bagmati river near the city of Mansi was hit by a cyclone.

The train was derailed from the track and then plunged into the river causing the deaths of hundreds of people.

The train was carrying approximately 1,000 passengers in nine cars between Mansi and Saharsa at the time of the accident. The train also believed to have suffered brake failure during the disaster.

Saint-Michel-de-Maurienne, France

The Saint-Michel-de-Maurienne derailment in France caused death of more than 700 people and remains the greatest rail disaster in French history.

The accident occurred in December 1917 when a heavily loaded 350m long train derailed after suffering brake failure just before Saint-Michel-de-Maurienne station. The train caught fire while descending into a valley after departing from Modane station.

Approximately 1,000 French troops from the Italian front were returning home in two trains, coupled to form a single train powered by one engine due to shortage of locomotives, to the Chambéry station on the Culoz-Modane railway line. The 526t train had 19 cars and was running at excessive speeds at the time of the accident.

Ciurea station, Romania

The Ciurea rail disaster in Romania caused a death toll of over 600 people in January 1917 at Ciurea station in Romania.

Brake failure caused derailment and fire after being switched onto a loop to prevent collision with another train at the Ciurea station. The train was descending down a steep bank at high speed near the station at the time of the disaster.

The runaway train with 26 carriages was carrying approximately 1,000 people on the line from Iasi to Bârlad at the time of incident. The passengers included wounded soldiers and refugees fleeing a German advance.

Guadalajara accident, Mexico

The Guadalajara train accident in Mexico caused the death of more than 600 people. The disaster occurred in January 1915 due to brake failure when the train was running on a steep descent.

The train derailed from the track and plunged into a canyon near Guadalajara causing death of many people who were thrown off from the train as it inclined curves at high speed. Approximately 300 people survived the accident.

The train was carrying passengers from Colima to Guadalajara on the Pacific coast at the time of the accident. The train, with 20 carriages, was specially allocated for the families of the Venustiano Carranza troops in the midst of the Mexican Revolution.

Ufa train disaster, Russia

The Ufa train disaster, which occurred in June 1989 near the city of Ufa in Soviet Union, resulted in a death toll of 575 people and remains to be the deadliest railway disaster in Russian and Soviet history.

The disaster occurred due to a highly flammable cloud created by the liquefied gas spill from a burst pipeline near the railway line, where two passenger trains were passing each other between Ufa and Asha. The trains were carrying a total of approximately 1,300 passengers on the Adler-Novosibirsk route at the time of the accident.

The force of huge explosion, which was estimated to be 10kt TNT equivalent, fully burnt seven carriages, and destroyed 37 train cars and two locomotives. The accident caused injuries to more than 800 people.

Balvano, Italy

An accident near Balvano in southern Italy in March 1944 caused death of 520 people making it the worst ever train disaster in the country. It is also regarded as one of the moret unusual rail accidents of the century.

The disaster occurred due to carbon monoxide gas from steam engines of the locomotive No 8017 when it stalled with all the cars on a steep gradient inside the Armi tunnel. The low quality coal created poisonous carbon monoxide which caused the fatalities.

The passengers and crew failed to notice the danger as the smoke and fumes spread slowly. Some people in the last few cars survived as they had escaped before the poisonous gases reached the end cars.

Torre del Bierzo, Spain

The Torre del Bierzo rail accident in January 1944 near the village of Torre del Bierzo in Spain causing the death of over 500 people.

The disaster occurred due to a fire caused by the collision of three trains including Galicia mail express, a shunting engine train with three carriages and a coal train inside a tunnel.

The mail train consisting of 12 carriages suffered from brake failure and was hit by the shunting engine. The trains caught fire, which destroyed the signalling cable. The coal train with 27 loaded wagons from the opposite direction then hit the shunting engine train causing many fatalities.

Awash derailment, Ethiopia

The Awash rail accident caused approximately 400 deaths and remains the worst train disaster ever in Africa. The accident occurred in January 1985 near the town of Awash in Ethiopia due to the derailment of an express train.

The train derailed and crashed on a curve while crossing a bridge between Arba and Awash railway stations on the Addis Ababa-Djibouti Railway line. The four cars of the train plunged into a ravine on the Awash River.

The train was carrying approximately 1,000 people in five cars and running at excessive speed at the time of the accident.

Al Ayyat train disaster, Egypt

The train disaster occurred near Al Ayyat, 46 miles away from Cairo, Egypt, in February 2002 causing the death of 383 people.

The passenger train travelling between Cairo and Luxor was overloaded with people in its 11 carriages. A cooking gas cylinder explosion in the fifth carriage creating a fire that spread to seven carriages.

The burning train travelled for four miles due to lack of communication between the driver and the rear carriages, and finally stopped near Al-Ayyat. Many of the passengers that jumped from the train did not survive.

 

Indian trains are known as the cheapest mode of transportation, millions of people prefer to travel in train rather then other transport services. The second largest rail network of world, some times comes to a standstill due to accidents and mishaps. Major and worst train accidents in India are Bihar train disaster, Khanna rail disaster, Gaisal train disaster and Firozabad rail disaster.

Aviation accidents and incidents

In aviation, an accident is defined by the Convention on International Civil Aviation Annex 13 as an occurrence associated with the operation of an aircraft, which takes place from the time any person boards the aircraft with the intention of flight until all such persons have disembarked, and in which a) a person is fatally or seriously injured, b) the aircraft sustains significant damage or structural failure, or c) the aircraft goes missing or becomes completely inaccessible. Annex 13 defines an incident as an occurrence, other than an accident, associated with the operation of an aircraft that affects or could affect the safety of operation.

A hull loss occurs if an aircraft is destroyed, damaged beyond repair, lost, or becomes completely inaccessible.

The first fatal aviation accident was the crash of a Rozière balloon near Wimereux, France, on June 15, 1785, killing the balloon's inventor, Jean-François Pilâtre de Rozier, and the other occupant, Pierre Romain. The first involving a powered aircraft was the crash of a Wright Model A aircraft at Fort Myer, Virginia, in the United States on September 17, 1908, injuring its co-inventor and pilot, Orville Wright, and killing the passenger, Signal Corps Lieutenant Thomas Selfridge

Major disasters

September 11 terrorist attacks

2,996: The deadliest aviation-related disaster of any kind, considering fatalities on both the aircraft and the ground, was the destruction of the World Trade Center in New York City on September 11, 2001. On that morning four aircraft traveling on transcontinental flights from East Coast airports to California were hijacked after takeoff, and used in four separate suicide attacks against major American landmarks by 19 Islamic terrorists affiliated with Al Qaeda. American Airlines Flight 11 and United Airlines Flight 175 were intentionally crashed into the North and South Towers respectively of the World Trade Center, destroying both buildings in less than two hours. The World Trade Center crashes killed 2,753, the vast majority of fatalities being occupants of the World Trade Center towers or emergency personnel responding to the disaster.

In addition, 184 were killed by American Airlines Flight 77, which crashed into The Pentagon (causing severe damage and partial destruction to the building's west side). 40 passengers were also killed when United Airlines Flight 93 crashed into a Somerset County Pennsylvania field after passengers fought back and prevented the hijackers from reaching their designated target. This brought the total number of casualties of the September 11 attacks to 2,996 (including the 19 terrorist hijackers). As deliberate terrorist acts, the 9/11 crashes were not classified as accidents, but as mass murder-suicide; these events were subsequently treated by the United States and the member nations of NATO as an act of war and terrorism.

Tenerife disaster

583: The Tenerife airport disaster, which occurred on March 27, 1977, remains the accident with the highest number of airliner passenger fatalities. 583 people died when a KLM Boeing 747 attempted to take off without flight clearance, and collided with a taxiing Pan Am 747 at Los Rodeos Airport on the Canary Island of Tenerife, Spain. There were no survivors from the KLM aircraft; 61 of the 396 passengers and crew on the Pan Am aircraft survived. Pilot error was the primary cause, as the KLM captain began his takeoff run without obtaining air traffic control clearance. A contributing factor was the dense fog. The KLM flight crew could not see the Pan Am aircraft on the runway until immediately before the collision. The accident had a lasting influence on the industry, particularly in the area of communication. An increased emphasis was placed on using standardized phraseology in air traffic control (ATC) communication by both controllers and pilots alike. "Cockpit Resource Management" has also been incorporated into flight crew training. The captain is no longer considered infallible, and combined crew input is encouraged during aircraft operations.

JAL Flight 123

520: The crash of Japan Airlines Flight 123 on August 12, 1985, is the single-aircraft disaster with the highest number of fatalities:^[9] 520 people died on board a Boeing 747. The aircraft suffered an explosive decompression from an incorrectly repaired aft pressure bulkhead, which failed in mid flight, destroying most of its vertical stabilizer and severing all of the hydraulic lines, making the 747 virtually uncontrollable.^[10] Pilots were able to keep the plane flying for 32 minutes after the mechanical failure before crashing into a mountain. All 15 crew members and 505 of the 509 passengers on board died. The death toll was exacerbated by delays in the rescue operation. Although a number of people survived the impact, by the time the Japanese rescue teams arrived at the crash site all but four had succumbed to their injuries.

 

1996 Charkhi Dadri mid-air collision

349: On November 12, 1996, the world's deadliest mid-air collision was the Charkhi Dadri mid-air collision involving Saudia Flight 763 and Kazakhstan Airlines Flight 1907 over Charkhi Dadri, India. The collision was mainly the result of the Kazakh pilot flying lower than the assigned clearance altitude. All 349 passengers and crew on board of both the aircraft died. The Ramesh Chandra Lahoti Commission, empowered to study the causes, recommended the creation of the "semi-circular rule", to prevent aircraft from flying in opposite directions at the same altitude. The Civil Aviation Authorities in India made it mandatory for all aircraft flying in and out of India to be equipped with a Traffic Collision Avoidance System (TCAS), setting a worldwide precedent for mandatory use of TCAS.

When one uses any mode of transport, accidents are bound to happen. Accidents occur because of negligent mistakes but the effects of the same are lasting and lingering. There have emerged and are emerging so many accident cases, that it has become to keep track of them.

Road accidents, rail accidents and aircraft crash landings are accidents that everyone today has become accustomed hearing about. In a similar manner, even maritime accidents occur, casualties are caused and damages have to be borne. However, unlike in the former three cases, there are several possible types of maritime accidents.

The oceanic area is very vast and therefore the variations in accidents are also numerous. The effects of the occurrences of marine accidents include not just humans but also the marine creatures and the marine environment and ecosystem.

We have brought to you 12 main known types of maritime accidents can be listed down as follows:

1. Offshore Oil Rig Mishaps

The recently occurred oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is an offshore oil rig accident. Offshore oil rigs constitute great danger in terms of their heavy machinery and the complexities of the processes involved. Even a minor error by way of negligence of a simple process or overlooking in the working of a machinery part can lead to immense damaging consequences across the world.

2. Cruise Vessel Mishaps

Cruise vessels form a very important part in the vacation itinerary of people. However, a major type of maritime accident occurs in cruise vessels. Cruise vessels could capsize or face tough weather conditions causing the ship to develop major problems.Another important case of accidents in cruise ships is because of the negligence on the part of workers. As per statistical data nearly 75% of fires are caused because of a mere mistake by people working on the cruise ship.

3. Commercial Fishing Mishaps

Even fishing for commercial purposes can lead to fatal incidents being caused. Inexperienced fishermen – sometimes even experienced ones – can fall overboard. Harsh weather conditions can also could severe damages to a commercial fishing expedition.

4. Accidents on Tugboats

Tugboats are those which help move huge ships to enter docks. They are small in nature but are powerful to ensure that the large vessels are handled safely. But sometimes because of the blockage of the visibility of tugboats by the larger vessels, maritime accidents occur. Also human error on the part of the pilot of the tugboat can also lead to unwanted and unexpected tugboat mishaps.

5. Accidents on Crude Oil Tankers and Cargo Ships

The major cause of accidents on cargo tankers is explosions. Since the very nature of the materials these tankers transport is dangerous and highly flammable, even the most minor of explosions can cause enormous losses. According to statistics, one of the main reasons for oil tanker accidents occurring is because of workers’ negligence – nearly 84-88%.

6. Grounding of Ships

Ship grounding occurs when the bottom of the ship’s hull scrapes through the ocean-bed. This type of maritime accident has a lot of impact on the ship’s hull and more on the overall oceanic area where the 

grounding has started to occur and has finally culminated.The danger to workers aboard the ship is another important consequence because of the mishap.

7. Maritime Accident because of Drugs and alcohol

Drug or substance abuse is a major problem across the world. Even in the marine world, substance abuse can cause irreparable damage. If the workers of a particular ship engage in substance abuse or alcohol, the addiction-induced frenzy could cause the worker to behave erratically and thereby lead to an unwanted maritime accident on board ships.

8. Crane Mishaps

Just like crane operations on the land, marine crane operations on ports and on ship are also risky. The risk is further stressed because of the oceanic operations where the cranes are required. Because of faulty wires or winches, crane workers can lose their life or in a worst case scenario, be alive but with irreparable physical handicap. Alternatively, accidents because of crane operations are also caused because of negligence and inexperience on the part of the worker.

9. Accidents in Shipyards

The shipyardis the place where the ship is assembled and constructed in its entirety. Fitting and welding accidents are common in the shipyard which could spare the worker his life but hamper the worker’s overall working abilities. Similarly constant inhaling of poisonous fumes also becomes another shipyard accident cause.

10. Maritime Accidents on Diving Support Vessels: People who want to explore the mysteries of the deep sea use a diving support craft to take a plunge into the water. However if the diving support craft is unfit and if the crew also happens to be really unfit to oversee and manoeuvre the whole operation effectively, a major accident can be caused.

11. Accidents on Barges: Barge mishaps occur mainly because of the overall build of the barges themselves, which allows them limited movement on the water and because of the problems of the barge-towing equipments. These problems could be caused due to inexperience on the part of the person at the helm of the towing boats or due to usage of faulty towing cables.

12. Cargo Hauling Accidents: Cargo hauling maritime accidents are those accidents caused to workers who work as cargo haulers. However, according to several maritime accident investigations, it has been reported that cargo hauling workers overstate their cargo-hauling injuries. The maritime accident investigation, consequentially reports that because of this, this profession has one of the most severe rate of work-place absenteeism.

It can be seen from the above mentioned types of maritime accidents, that mistakes on the part of the workers and operators play a major role in the accidents being caused. But in order to find out what was the actual cause of the marine accident, a maritime accident investigation is necessary.

Maritime accident investigation will help to narrow down on the actual cause of the accident which will help the injury claimants to claim their rightful due with absolute clarity.

 

·         The environmental impact, especially in the case where large tanker ships are involved.

·         The loss of human life.

·         Financial consequences to local communities close to the accident.

·         The financial consequences to ship-owners, due to ship loss or penalties. The grounding, depending on the maneuvers of the master before the impact, may result in the ship being stranded. Depending on the nature of the relief of the seabed at the location, i.e. being muddy or rocky, different measures have to be taken to release the ship and carry it to a safe harbor.

Capsizing

The severity of a capsize depends on the size and design of a vessel. A small dinghy is designed to capsize and be righted by her crew. Yachts are typically built to right themselves even if heeled over beyond 90 degrees. However a large sailing ship will typically lose all stability at a smaller angle of heel, and will be vulnerable to downflooding and sinking if heeled beyond this point.

Yachts will capsize almost immediately when they loose their keel. Fortunately, this is rare, but if it does, it's a life-threatening danger, as seen in the case of the sunken Cheeki Rafiki.

Fire

Fire is a serious threat to all ships, but to a ship made of wood, rope, and canvas, it was the greatest danger of all. Cooking fires in the galley were watched constantly, and put out instantly if the weather turned ugly, or an enemy ship appeared in the distance. Warships had an elaborate set of procedures for handling their gunpowder; the magazines were deep in the ship and the lanterns kept in another room, with a window between.

The introduction of steam power in the mid-19th century was attended by the use of "fire-engines" consisting of pumps and hoses. Even so, fire was fatal to a ship far more often than not.

Ship Accidents – The Reasons Behind Their Occurrence

Marine accidents can occur in numerous forms – fires, collisions, explosions, sinking, etc. However, heavy storms, disastrous winds and waves, and other fortuitous events are actually not the only things to blame. In fact, due to human errors and negligence, the probability of ship accidents is most likely to happen. Hence, the reasons behind deep-sea catastrophes can either be due to natural factors or the vessel’s crews or officers misconduct.

By all means, determining the real causes and circumstances of every ship accident is initially part of any incident investigation. But despite the technical advancements and mechanization, human errors are considered vital in the maritime industry. Because this is due to the fact that the marine industry indeed stands as people’s industry. The best explanation to this is that a watercraft is embodied with machinery operated through software or programs in a computer. But, a crew, staff or officer play an integral role in running the systems. Therefore, the inaccuracy of such ship personnel can lead to a chain reaction of failure, resulting in a negative outcome.

In a bid to enhance ship performance and safety, further studies and investigations are conducted after an accident has occurred. With the help of technology, the shipowner and investigators can easily pinpoint the root causes of any ship accidents. In this case, preventive measures can be formulated to help avoid the repetitions of such casualties due to human errors. Moreover, analysis of many ship accidents has indicated that 90% up of the reasons of deep-sea disasters was human mismanagement.

The comprehensive review looking into human misconducts and their connotation have sorted few reasons, which mostly lead to a failure. It has been identified that fatigue is the most common factor in this area. Overworked and tiredness are elements that somehow make crews decline in his responsibilities aboard the ship. Another reason behind the recurrence of ship accidents is the lack of communication between the crews or members. Misunderstanding and ineffective communication eventually can lead to higher risks of maritime accidents. Another crucial reason is insufficient knowledge and training, especially on the ship’s standard operations.

To enumerate, here are more the reasons behind every ship’s inconveniences:

·         Imprudent hazard management training

·         Inadequate decision making

·         Lack of maintenance procedures

·         Automation error

·         Unsafe working environment

·         Lack of emergency drills

Whether due to natural disasters or human errors, looking into facts that lead to an accident must always be weighed. Through this, the frequency of ship accidents can be obviated by taking steps to upgrade maritime actions and security.

10 of the Worst Ship Disasters Ever

We all know the story of the ill-fated RMS Titanic, but did you know that the Titanic had only the third-worst non-military loss of life ever recorded? There were two more disasters that ranked as even more deadly than the famous ocean liner, and that's without even counting the military ones. Read on to learn about ten of the most terrifying maritime disasters ever documented. MV Wilhelm Gustloff: Largest Loss of Life of All Time

In January of 1945, this German ship was hit by three torpedoes in the Baltic Sea while participating in the evacuation of civilians, military personnel, and Nazi officials who were surrounded by the Red Army in East Prussia. After being hit in the starboard (right) side, the vessel sank in less than 45 minutes. An estimated 9,400 people were killed in the disaster, making it the largest known loss of life occurring during a single ship sinking in recorded maritime history.

MV Doña Paz: Largest Non-Military Loss

This Philippine-registered passenger ferry sank after colliding with the MT Vector on December 20, 1987. With a possible death toll of 4,375 people, the collision resulted in the deadliest ferry disaster in history during peace time. While most of the passengers slept during the night of December 20th, the ferry collided with the Vector, which was carrying 8,800 barrels of gasoline. The impact caused a fire which quickly spread to the Doña Paz, as well as lighting the surrounding water on fire. The life jackets aboard the Doña Paz were reportedly locked up, forcing passengers to jump into flaming shark-infested waters in order to attempt escape.

RMS Lusitania: Sank in 18 Minutes

This British ocean liner traveled the route between Liverpool, England and New York City, including a port of call at Queenstown, (now Cobh) Ireland. During World War I, the ship was hit by a German torpedo on May 7, 1915, and then sank within just 18 minutes of being hit.

The disaster killed 1,198 of the 1,959 people aboard, leaving 761 survivors. The sinking turned public opinion in many countries against Germany, contributed to the American entry into World War I and became an iconic symbol in military recruiting campaigns of why the war was being fought.

RMS Lancastria: Worst Loss of Life on a British Ship

This British ocean liner was commandeered by the government during World War II. It was sunk on June 17th, 1940, resulting in the loss of over 4,000 lives, possibly many more. This is considered to be the worst loss of life in the sinking of a single British ship, and the bloodiest single engagement for UK forces (in terms of lives lost) in all of WW2. This disaster claimed more lives than the combined losses of the Titanic and Lusitania.

RMS Empress of Ireland: Worst Disaster in Canadian History

This Canadian ocean liner sank in the Saint Lawrence River following a collision with a Norwegian collier in the early hours of May 29, 1914. The accident claimed the lives of 1,012 people (840 passengers, 172 crew). During the early morning hours, the smaller collier collided with the starboard (right) side of the Empressdue to heavy fog. Many people in the lower portion of the ship drowned instantly. The ship listed so quickly to the side that launching lifeboats became impossible, and only 465 survived.

MV Goya: At least 6,000 People Killed in 7 Minutes

This German transport ship had 6,100 documented passengers on board (and possibly hundreds more undocumented) when it was struck on April 16, 1945, by a Soviet submarine in the Baltic Sea during World War II. Just seven minutes after being struck by the torpedo, the ship sank, killing almost all of the passengers and crew aboard, either inside the ship, or outside by drowning and hypothermia in the icy waters. This disaster is largely believed to be the second-worst in maritime history, based on the number of casualties. The ship was loaded with women and children (only two children were among the 183 passengers who survived)