Capsized landing craft captain had no licence, MPL says

The Maldives Ports Limited (MPL) has stated that the captain of the landing craft that capsized near the MPL port area on Sunday evening did not possess a valid licence and had committed several acts of negligence.

According to MPL, the landing craft was carrying 14 people when it capsized, resulting in six injuries. One local and one foreigner were killed.

MPL announced on Monday that it would conduct an internal investigation into the incident. The company released its findings on Thursday.

In its statement, MPL said the person operating the landing craft lacked the required licence and certification to operate such a vessel. The operator also did not have the necessary skills to supervise the loading of goods.

The investigation revealed several issues affecting the vessel’s stability. While the landing craft met general safety requirements, the loading deck was made of steel instead of wood, which increased the risk of cargo movement during operations.

The report stated that during direct delivery operations, the skipper is responsible for ensuring safety while loading cargo. Two excavators were loaded under the captain’s supervision, and equipment was removed from the cargo ship.

However, following completion of the unloading, the captain requested an additional operation that led to the vessel’s loss of stability and eventual capsize.

Ten MPL employees fell into the sea and sustained injuries. The landing craft had been heading back to the Malé commercial port after the operation when it capsized.

MPL confirmed that the unloading of the two excavators was carried out according to current procedures. The company also noted that, under existing regulations, quality assessments and licence checks for captains and crew of vessels sent by importers are not required.

MPL stated that this regulation has now been reviewed and amended.