Recently, Japan's JR Kyushu High Speed Ferry Company has been exposed to serious problems.
According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT), the JR Kyushu High-Speed Ferry Company failed to report cracks and water ingress into the hull of the high-speed ferry it operates to the relevant authorities and failed to carry out the necessary repairs, but instead allowed the vessel to continue to sail for more than three months, carrying about 55,000 passengers.
According to the Yomiuri Shimbun, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism considered this behavior to be a “major threat to public safety”, and JR Kyushu, the parent company of the JR Kyushu High Speed Passenger Vessel, admitted on August 9 that it had discovered the cracks in the vessel's hull and water ingress as early as February of this year, but did not carry out any overhauls as required by law or report them to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transportation and Tourism. Transportation Ministry.
Even more worryingly, the JR Kyushu Highway Passenger Vessel also moved the alarm sensor used to detect water ingress without authorization, rendering it ineffective, and altered the relevant water ingress data. Despite maintaining the ship's passenger-carrying voyage by pumping out water, the ship eventually had to undergo repairs as the water ingress situation worsened. It was not until May 30 that they reported the first discovery of water ingress to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism and the parent company. Following the repairs, the ship resumed sailing in July.
“The Queen Beetle, a high-speed passenger ship with a capacity of 502 passengers and a displacement of 2,582 tons, is a high-speed service connecting the ports of Hakata, Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan, and Busan, South Korea, with a one-way sailing distance of about 200 kilometers and a sailing time of about 3 hours and 40 minutes, and makes round trips once a day.
Currently, the ship is known to have carried about 55,000 passengers between February and May. It is worth noting that the JR Kyushu High Speed Passenger Vessel had a similar incident of hull cracks and water ingress in February 2023, when it also continued to sail without being inspected in accordance with the law. In June of the same year, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism issued administrative sanctions against the company and required it to submit an improvement report in July of the same year.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism conducted an unannounced inspection of the JR Kyushu High Speed Passenger Ship on August 6, and discovered the incident of hull cracks and water ingress while listening to explanations and inspecting documents. It was not until August 7 that JR Kyushu, the parent company, first received a report from JR Kyushu High Speed Passenger Vessel.
Regarding the reasons why JR Kyushu High Speed Passenger Vessels concealed the problem and failed to report it, the contractor from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism said that it will continue to investigate and is unable to provide detailed information at this time. After a thorough inspection, appropriate penalties will be assessed.
JR Kyushu also said it will take measures, including replacing the management team, in an effort to improve safety awareness.
Currently, the ship has been suspended from August 13, and reservations have been accepted for about 21,500 passengers.
According to Asahi Shimbun, JR Kyushu decided to replace the management team of the JR Kyushu High Speed Passenger Vessel on August 13th. In the future, operations will be resumed only under a new system that ensures safety is not in jeopardy.Reservations after August 13 will be canceled, and the company will communicate individually with passengers who have made reservations.
https://www.cnss.com.cn/html/hygc/20240814/354328.html
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