Boat firm boss owns up, apologizes for tragedy

Chau Hoan Tam, the owner of Din Ky Restaurant Private Enterprise

Photo: Tuoi Tre

TUOITRE

Three days after the sinking of the restaurant-boat Din Ky last Friday in which 16 people died, the chief of the company that owns the vessel admitted responsibility and apologized to the victims’ families.

Chau Hoan Tam, the owner of Din Ky Restaurant Private Enterprise, held a media conference in Thu Dau Mot town yesterday to talk about the accident.

“Our shortcomings have caused a great loss to the families of the victims,” he said. 
“I own up responsibility before the law for all their losses and would like to send my apologies to them.”

He admitted to three wrongdoings: operating the tour-boat quay without a license, failing to register the boat afresh after its registration had expired, and the use of an unlicensed pilot at the time of the accident.

Asked why Din Ky had failed to re-register the ship, Tam said, “I authorized the chief manager of the vessel to re-register it but he forgot to do so.”

Asked about the use of Le Van Duc, 28, as a pilot, he said: “That was absolutely wrong. If I had been present that day, it would have not been happened. Le Van Quang, the ship manager who assigned Duc to pilot the ship, has been detained by the police.”

Asked what Din Ky has done for the victims, Tam said: “Like the relatives of the victims, I have a family and children. I therefore consider the great losses suffered by the victims’ families as those suffered by my own family. We have used all possible resources to mitigate the consequences.

“Din Ky has organized transportation of all the victims’ bodies to their homes for burial. We have visited the families of two victims in Binh Duong and would call on other victims in northern provinces. 

“In addition to paying VND10 million (US$480) to each victim’s family, we have spent VND680 million ($33,000) for the burial of nine victims in the northern Ha Tinh Province and three others in Binh Duong. We have also paid $32,000 for returning the bodies of four Chinese victims to China.

“Money cannot compensate for the loss of human life, no matter how much it is. However, we will give as much support as possible.” 

Tam also said his company is assisting relevant agencies with their investigation into the cause of the accident.

Tran Van Nam, deputy chairman of the Binh Duong People’s Committee, told Tuoi Tre yesterday that Din Ky’s unauthorized quay in Thuan An District would be closed down.

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