Zhang Lanhai, chief mate of Fuzhou No. 10 ship, was given a five-year jail term for a ship collision that claimed 52 lives, according to a verdict passed by the Fuling District Court in southwestern Chinas Chongqing municipality.

On June 19 last year, the Fuzhou No. 10 ship was sailing on Jialing River with 64 people aboard before it collided with Jianglong No. 806 Ship coming in the opposite direction. The Fuzhou No. 10 ship capsized and sunk in the river and all 64 passengers aboard fell into the river, leaving 29 of them dead and 23 missing.

The captain surnamed Liu was among the missing. Zhang Hailan, the chief mate, who was then in charge of keeping a lookout from a distance, was held responsible for the accident.

The two ships sailed in the dense fog that day and failed to carry out regular lookout, according to the court.

Those on board the Fuzhou No. 10 ship did not operate properly in emergency and the first mate was directly accountable for the tragedy, according to the court verdict.

(Xinhua News Agency May 1, 2004)