Azerbaijan, Baku, Feb. 5 / Trend , S.Aliyev/
An Azerbaijani court detained the Russian dry-cargo ship Sarmat-1. The ship suffered a disaster 30 miles from Baku in late 2008, the Azerbaijani State Maritime Administration said on Feb. 5. The State Oil Company of the Azerbaijan Republic (SOCAR) Caspian Sea Oil Fleet requires the owner to pay compensation for rescuing the ship.
Sarmat-1 will remain detained until payment is made.
"This is normal practice," the administration said. Repairs on the ship are complete. The vessel has been examined and is ready to sail once the financial issue is resolved. A technical malfunction in the steering compartment caused an accident in late 2008. Other damages resulting from the accident were also repaired in Baku. The Astrakhan Rescue Coordination Center reported Sarmat-1 was in distress on Dec. 15.
Sarmat-1 was built in 1986. There were no causalities. The vessel was sailing from Astrakhan, Russia, to Anzali, Iran, with a cargo of lumber and metal (1,750 tons). The steering machine malfunctioned due to a storm.
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