Captain Sunil Kumar Nandeshwar, the captain of the ship that ran aground in July 2019, has told an inquiry that he steered the vessel close to the island of Mauritius to search for an internet connection.

The decision led to the ship breaking in half and tons of fuel being spilled, causing an ecological emergency off the coast of the east African island nation. The BBC reports that the MV Wakashio was carrying 4 000 tons of fuel when it hit a coral reef.

Captain Nandeshwar said, “There was no internet on the ship, and I agreed to dock in Mauritius so that the crew members could communicate with their relatives.” He said that that helped keep the morale of the crew high.

The Captain and his assistant were subsequently arrested. Both the Mauritius government and the ship’s crew have blamed the captain for the accident before an Inquiry. Some have testified to a birthday celebration having been held onboard the ship, with Captain Nandeshwar having allowed the crew to drink despite an alcohol and drugs prohibition onboard.

Umm Muhammed Umar