Section 294
Inquiry into cause of death onboard or person missing from Indian vessel.
The Merchant Shipping Act, 2025
About this Act
An Act to consolidate and amend the law relating to merchant shipping to ensure compliance with India's obligation under the maritime treaties and international instruments to which India is a party and also to ensure the development of Indian shipping and efficient maintenance of Indian mercantile marine in a manner best suited to serve the national interest and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.
(1) If any person dies onboard or is missing from an Indian vessel, the master shall forthwith inform the Director-General and the proper officer of the port or the next port of call.
(2) On receipt of information under sub-section (1), the proper officer shall enquire into the cause of death and make an endorsement to that effect in the official logbook, either that the statement of the cause of death in the book is in his opinion true or the contrary according to the result of inquiry.
(3) If, in the course of any such inquiry, it appears to the proper officer that death is caused onboard the vessel by violence or other improper means, he shall either report the matter to the Director-General or, if the emergency of the case so requires, shall take immediate steps for bringing the offender to trial.
(2) On receipt of information under sub-section (1), the proper officer shall enquire into the cause of death and make an endorsement to that effect in the official logbook, either that the statement of the cause of death in the book is in his opinion true or the contrary according to the result of inquiry.
(3) If, in the course of any such inquiry, it appears to the proper officer that death is caused onboard the vessel by violence or other improper means, he shall either report the matter to the Director-General or, if the emergency of the case so requires, shall take immediate steps for bringing the offender to trial.