Prosecutors in Genoa have placed the captain of the Jolly Nero cargo ship under investigation for alleged manslaughter after the vessel slammed into the dock at the busy port and toppled the control tower into the harbor, killing at least seven people.Prosecutor Michele de Lecce today said the harbour pilot on the ship's bridge at the time of the crash was also placed under investigation. Such investigations are par for the course in Italy.

A study by the Swedish Club, produced as a reaction to a 60% increase in hull and machinery claims over a three year period, has pointed to skill shortages as one of the principal reasons for this rise. A substantial rise in the cost of individual claims, and an increased frequency of claims since 2008, led to the club’s analysis, which points to a number of common causes. None of these might be considered new or particularly surprising, with a lack of knowledge, the failure to follow procedures and inadequate resource management being three of the key issues identified.

MISC Berhad (MISC) has confirmed that a fire broke out onboard its 38,000 DWT IMO II chemical/palm oil tanker, Bunga Alpinia at approximately 2.30am (local time) this morning.

Crew on board a container vessel were forced to abandon their ship after an explosion and subsequent fire in a cargo hold mid Atlantic.At 10:07 Falmouth Coastguard received the relayed mayday broadcast from the German registered MSC Flaminia reporting that the crew on board had abandoned the vessel.