Death Ship Inquest Resumes

The coronial inquest into the controversial deaths aboard the Panama-flagged coal carrier Sage Sagittarius that occurred four years ago in Australian waters has been resumed today in Sydney.

The New South Wales Coroner Court launched the investigation into two of three deaths from 2012 on board what has now become known as the “death ship” in May 2015.

The suspicious deaths concern that of the vessel’s chief cook, Cesar Llanto, who went missing in April 2012 while the ship was en route in the Coral Sea.

The incident was followed by the death of chief engineer Hector Collado, who is believed to had fell from an 11-metre deck to a deck below while en route to New Castle, whereas the third incident happened in October while the ship was unloading in Japan when a worker was killed after being crushed in a conveyer belt.

A veil of mystery surrounds the two deaths, especially the disappearance of Mr Llanto, whose death has been treated as an alleged murder, according to Australian Federal Police.

This is further fueled by findings of the inquest from last year that heard of alleged foul play on board and attempted pay offs to the victims’ families.

The coronial inquest resumes as the former captain of the notorius ship, Venancio Salas, returns to Australian waters on a new contract and a new ship that arrived this morning into the Port of Gladstone, the Nothern Star reports.

The former captain of the ship had confessed to taking a commission for selling guns to crew members while on board the bulker and also admitted of being involved in physical confrontations with one of the ship’s crew member, Jessie Martinez.

World Maritime News Staff