Staten Island Ferry Accident: Investigation Underway

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NEW YORK (GaeaTimes.com)- An extensive investigation has been initiated in the Staten Island ferry accident case which took place on Saturday morning with at least 36 people being wounded. Officials of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) have stated to news sources that a probe into the matter is going to be carried on in order to reach a conclusion regarding the cause of the accident. It has been reported that the NTSB has sent as many as seven investigators from Washington D.C to look into the matter and assemble facts pertaining to the Staten Island ferry accident.

Officials of the NTSB swung into action following the Staten Island ferry accident as the ferry was involved in another accident in the year 2003 which claimed eleven lives and left around 42 people injured. The investigators were likely to spend some time at the site of the accident in order to conduct inspections as well as interview the crew members and the passengers who were present when the Staten Island ferry smashed into the pier. Despite the fact that the NTSB officials were quick enough to initiate the probe into the crash, it has been revealed that it might take investigators almost a year to reach any conclusion in this regard.

Robert Sumwalt, a member of NTSB told news sources on Saturday night that as the driver of the ferry Andrew J. Barberi was also involved a previous accident, NTSB decided to take serious steps this time around to know whether there was any recurring issues from the previous crash. While approaching the terminal on Saturday morning, the Staten Island ferry hit the pier supposedly owing to a mechanical failure.