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Gianfranco Damilano News

20 Apr 2000

RINA Strikes 22 Ships From Register

RINA, the Italian shipping standards body, which has taken enormous heat for passing as seaworthy the tanker Erika which broke up off France, has struck 22 ships off its books. "RINA has withdrawn class on 22 ships, totaling 394,100 gross tons (gt), during this year to the end of March," the ship classification society said. The purge was the result of internal checks set up after the loss last December of the 25-year-old tanker Erika which heavily polluted hundreds of French beaches. Ships were barred from classification where owners were unwilling or unable to reach high enough standards, RINA spokesman Gianfranco Damilano said. The disclassed ships included six oil tankers and two bulk carriers all over 25 years old, he said.

28 Jan 2000

Molasses Tanker With Same Flag, Class As Erika Detained In France

A 27-year-old molasses tanker escorted to Falmouth in the U.K. after safety defects were found was flagged and classed by the same bodies responsible for the Erika, the tanker that spilled oil on French beaches last month. The Malta-flagged Santana 111, which was detained by French port inspectors, was classed fit to sail by Italian classification society RINA from February 1999, a RINA official said. Erika, which broke up in December causing massive pollution to French beaches, was also registered by Malta and RINA. RINA communications manager Gianfranco Damilano pointed out that the Santana 111 was used for carrying molasses, indicating that if it broke up it would not do the same damage as an oil tanker. "This is not the same as the Erika," he said.