Indians jailed over S Korea spill

Maritime organisations defended Capt Chawla and Syam Chetan

A court in South Korea has overturned an earlier ruling and has jailed an Indian captain and chief officer over the nation's worst oil spill.

The appeal court jailed Capt Jasprit Chawla for 18 months and Syam Chetan for eight months.

Their Hebei Spirit was rammed by a barge a year ago, releasing 11,000 tonnes of crude oil on to beaches.

Shipping operators and seafarer unions have insisted the tanker crew were blameless. The pair will appeal.

They had been acquitted by a lower court in June.

But the appeal court in the central city of Daejeon found they had failed to act promptly to reduce the spillage after the accident on 7 December last year.

Capt Chawla was also fined 20m won ($14,000) and the chief officer 10m won. The Hebei Spirit's owner was fined 30m won.

The pair were taken into custody but announced they would appeal to the Supreme Court.

At anchor

Maritime organisations had campaigned for the pair's release.

The oil spilled on to miles of South Korean beaches

The International Association of Independent Tanker Owners said it was "dismayed and disappointed".

The accident occurred after a barge owned by Samsung Heavy Industries, that was carrying a construction crane, broke free in rough seas.

It holed the 147,000-tonne Hebei Spirit, which was at anchor.

The appeal court on Wednesday said its crew had taken three and half hours to transfer oil and that its actions to prevent an explosion had only increased the spill.

The court also altered other sentences.

The jail sentences on the captains of the two tugboats towing the barge were reduced but the barge captain, who was previously exonerated, was jailed for 18 months.