法规标题：	中华人民共和国海上交通事故调查处理条例(附英文)
	发布机关：	国务院批准，交通部公布
	发布文号：	交通部令第14号
	发布日期：	1990年3月3日
	实施日期：	1990年3月3日
	时 效 性：	有效
	题 注：	1990年1月11日国务院批准，1990年3月3日交通部令第14号公布

REGULATIONS OF THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA ON THE INVESTIGATIONAND HANDLING OF MARITIME TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS 

     

     Important Notice: (注意事项)

    英文本源自中华人民共和国务院法制局编译, 中国法制出版社出版的《中华人民
共和国涉外法规汇编》(1991年7月版).
    当发生歧意时, 应以法律法规颁布单位发布的中文原文为准.
This  English document is coming from the  "LAWS  AND  REGULATIONS  OF THE
PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF  CHINA  GOVERNING  FOREIGN-RELATED  MATTERS" (1991.7)
which  is  compiled  by  the  Brueau  of  Legislative Affairs of the State
Council of  the  People's Republic of China, and is published by the China
Legal System Publishing House.
In case of discrepancy, the original version in Chinese shall prevail.
     
     Whole Document (法规全文)

REGULATIONS OF THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA ON THE INVESTIGATION
AND HANDLING OF MARITIME TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS
(Approved by the State Council on January 11, 1990, promulgated by
Decree No. 14 of the Ministry of Communications on March 3, 1990)
     
     Chapter I General Provisions

Article 1
These Regulations are formulated according to the relevant  provisions  of
the Maritime Traffic Safety Law of the People's Republic of China in order
to  strengthen  the  control  of  maritime  traffic  safety  and  promptly
investigate and handle maritime traffic accidents.
Article 2
The harbour superintendency establishments of  the  People's  Republic  of
China shall be responsible for implementing these Regulations.
Article 3
These Regulations shall apply to the maritime traffic accidents  happening
to the vessels and installations in the coastal  waters  of  the  People's
Republic of China.  If there exist special provisions in  state  laws  and
administrative regulations for  the  investigation  and  handling  of  the
maritime traffic accidents happening in the fishing port waters or of  the
maritime traffic accidents happening between fishing  vessels  or  between
military vessels in the coastal waters,  these  special  provisions  shall
prevail.
Article 4
The maritime traffic accidents referred to in these Regulations  mean  the
following accidents happening to vessels and installations:
(1) collision, strike or damage by waves;
(2) hitting hidden rocks or running aground;
(3) fire or explosion;
(4) sinking;
(5) damage or loss of machinery parts or important tools during  a  voyage
which affects the vessel's seaworthiness;
(6) other maritime traffic accidents which cause losses  in  property  and
human lives.
     
     Chapter II Report

Article 5
The persons in charge of the vessels and installations which are  involved
in maritime traffic accidents  must  report  immediately  to  the  harbour
superintendency administration at the nearest harbour by a  high-frequency
telephone, radiotelegram or other effective  means.  The  content  of  the
reports shall include: name of the  vessel  or  installation,  call  sign,
nationality, port of departure and port of arrival, owners or managers  of
the vessel or installation, when and where the accident happened  and  the
attending circumstances on the sea, the extent of damage of the vessel  or
installation, request for salvage, etc.
Article 6
The persons in charge of the vessels and installations which are  involved
in maritime traffic accidents must, in addition to  making  brief  reports
immediately in accordance with the provisions in  Article  5,  submit  the
Report Concerning Maritime Traffic Accidents and other necessary documents
and materials according to  the  following  stipulations  to  the  harbour
superintendency administration:
(1) If maritime traffic  accidents  happen  to  vessels  or  installations
within the waters of the harbour areas, it is necessary to submit a report
and other materials to the local  harbour  superintendency  administration
within 24 hours after the accidents.
(2) If maritime traffic accidents happen to vessels  or  installations  in
the coastal waters beyond the waters of harbour areas, it is necessary  to
submit a report and other materials within  48  hours  after  the  vessels
arrive at the first harbour in the  People's  Republic  of  China  to  the
harbour superintendency administration;
in the case of installations, it is necessary to report by  telegram,  the
content of which  shall  cover  all  the  items  required  in  the  Report
Concerning Maritime Traffic Accidents to the harbour superintendent at the
nearest harbour within 48 hours after the accidents.
(3) If a maritime traffic accident happens in the course of pilotage,  the
pilot shall submit the Report Concerning Maritime Traffic Accidents to the
local harbour superintendency administration within  24  hours  after  his
return to the harbour.  If, because of special circumstances,  the  Report
Concerning Maritime Traffic Accidents cannot be submitted within the  time
limit set in paragraphs (1) and (2) of this Article, the time limit may be
appropriately extended after  permission  is  obtained  from  the  harbour
superintendency administration.
Article 7
The following information shall  be  truthfully  provided  in  the  Report
Concerning Maritime Traffic Accidents:
(1) basic conditions of the vessel or installation and the data concerning
its main functions;
(2)  name  and  address  of  the  owner  or  manager  of  the  vessel   or
installation;
(3) when and where the accident happened;
(4) the climatic conditions  and  the  conditions  on  the  sea  when  the
accident happened;
(5) a detailed description of the course of the accident (for a collision,
a sketch map illustrating the face-to-face movements shall be attached);
(6) degree of the damage (A sketch showing the damaged parts of the vessel
or installation shall be attached. If it is difficult to make  a  thorough
investigation within the set time limit, a report shall be submitted at  a
later date after the examination.)
(7) estimated location of sinking in case where the vessel or installation
sank;
(8) other information related to the accident.
Article 8
A report concerning maritime traffic accidents must be truthful and  there
must not be any concealment or falsification.
Article 9
If a vessel or an installation  is  damaged  due  to  a  maritime  traffic
accident, the captain of the  vessel  or  the  person  in  charge  of  the
installation shall apply to China's local  inspection  department  or  the
inspection department at the vessel's first port of arrival in  China  for
inspection or appraisement and send a copy of the inspection report to the
harbour superintendency administration for the record.
The harbour superintendency administration may entrust the inspection  and
appraisement mentioned in the preceding paragraph  to  relevant  units  or
departments and the expenses shall be borne by the owner or manager of the
vessel  or  installation.  If  the  accident  happening  to  a  vessel  or
installation involved fire or explosion, the  captain  or  the  person  in
charge of the installation must apply to a fire fighting  brigade  in  the
public security  organ  for  an  appraisement  and  send  a  copy  of  the
appraisement report to the harbour superintendency administration for  the
record.
     
     Chapter III Investigation

Article 10
Harbour  superintendency  administration  shall  be  responsible  for  the
investigation of the maritime traffic accidents which happen in the waters
of their respective harbour areas.  The maritime traffic  accidents  which
happen outside the waters of harbour areas shall be  investigated  by  the
harbour superintendency administration of the nearest harbour or  that  of
the vessel's first port of arrival in the People's Republic of China.  The
Harbour Superintendency Administration Bureau of the People's Republic  of
China may designate a harbour superintendency administration to carry  out
the investigation, if the Bureau deems it necessary.
When  the  harbour  superintendency  administration  concerned  deems   it
necessary, he may request relevant departments and social organizations to
take part in the investigation of the accidents.
Article 11
Upon   receiving   accident   reports,   the    harbour    superintendency
administration shall promptly carry out investigation. Investigation shall
be carried out in an objective  and  all-round  manner  and  must  not  be
restricted by the information provided by  the  parties  involved  in  the
accidents. If the investigation warrants it, the  harbour  superintendency
administration has the right to:
(1) question the persons concerned;
(2) demand  written  material  and  testimonial  form  the  persons  under
investigation;
(3) demand the parties involved to provide  logbooks,  engine  room  logs,
wheel-bell records, radio operation logs, course records, charts, data  of
the vessel, functions of the  navigation  equipment  and  instruments  and
other necessary original papers and materials;
(4) examine certificates of the vessels, installations  and  the  relevant
equipment and certificates of the personnel and  verify  seaworthiness  of
the vessels and technical  conditions  of  the  installations  before  the
accident;
(5) examine the  damage  to  the  vessels,  installations  and  goods  and
ascertain casualties of personnel;
(6) survey the  scene  of  the  accident  and  collect  relevant  material
evidence.   During  the   investigation,   the   harbour   superintendency
administration may use recording, photographing and  video  equipment  and
may resort to other means of investigation permitted by law.
Article 12
The  persons  being  investigated   must   subject   themselves   to   the
investigation, honestly state the relevant circumstances of  the  accident
and provide authentic papers and materials.
In conducting investigations, the  personnel  of  harbour  superintendency
administration shall produce  their  certificates  to  the  persons  being
investigated.
Article 13
If the investigation of a  maritime  traffic  accident  so  requires,  the
harbour superintendency administration may order the vessel(s) involved to
sail to the spot for investigation. Except when its (their) own safety  is
in danger, the vessel(s) involved must not leave the said spot without the
permission of the harbour superintendency administration.
Article 14
The organs respectively in charge  of  public  security,  state  security,
supervision, procuratorial work, and judicial work, as  well  as  maritime
arbitration committees and other organs and personnel designated under the
law may consult, make extracts of or  duplicate  the  findings  concerning
maritime  traffic  accidents  prepared  by  the  harbour   superintendency
administration for the purpose of  handling  cases.  Judicial  organs  may
borrow these findings if they are really needed in the trials.
     
     Chapter IV Handling of Accidents

Article 15
The  harbour  superintendency  administrations  shall,  according  to  the
investigations of maritime traffic  accidents,  work  out  the  Report  on
Findings Concerning Maritime Traffic Accidents, in  which  causes  of  the
accidents shall be ascertained  and  the  responsibility  of  the  persons
concerned be determined. A serious accident shall be reported to the local
procuratorial organ.
Article 16
The Report on Findings Concerning  the  Maritime  Traffic  Accident  shall
include the following items:
(1) basic conditions of the vessels or installations and the main data;
(2) names and addresses of the  owners  or  managers  of  the  vessels  or
installations;
(3) when and where the accident happened,  the  course  of  the  accident,
weather and sea conditions at the time, seriousness of the damage;
(4) causes of the accident and evidence thereof;
(5) liabilities of the parties involved and evidence thereof;
(6) other relevant information.
Article 17
The harbour superintendency administrations may, according to  the  nature
and seriousness of their liabilities, mete  out  the  following  penalties
according to law to the persons who are held responsible for the  maritime
traffic accidents: