Which is the odd one out? RINA - the society that classed the Erika, Malta - the ship's flag of registry, Port Authority of Nantes-St Nazaire - which refused the ship's request for shelter, and Karun Mathur - the master of the Erika? The answer, of course, is Mathur. He had the misfortune to be in command of the tanker when it sank and, therefore, spent time in a French jail. RINA has just been given the perfect alibi by ABS (see page 8); Malta, too, is expected to escape criticism. Even the harbour master at Nantes-St Nazaire acted within his brief by putting the coastline before the lives of an overworked and terrified ship's crew. Yet ABS chairman Frank Iarossi says the entire marine industry is to blame for allowing substandard ships to operate for far too long. He's right, of course. We're all to blame, so don't single out class.
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