358. Shipping casualties and report thereof.- (1) For the purposes of investigations and inquires under this part, a shipping casualty shall be deemed to occur when (a) on or near the coasts of India, any ship is lost, abandoned, stranded or materially damaged; (b) on or near the coasts of India, and ship because loss or material damage to any other ship; (c) any loss of life ensues by reason of any casualty happening to or on board any ship on or near the coasts of India; (d) in anyplace, any such loss, abandonment, stranding, material damage or casually as above mention occurs to or on board any Indian ship, and any competent witness thereof is found in India; (e) any India ship is lost or is supposed to have been lost any evidence is obtainable in India as to the circumstances under which she proceeded to sea or was last heard of- (2) In the case mentioned in clauses (a), (b) and (c) of sub-section (1), the master, pilot, harbour master or other person in charge of the ship, or (where tow ships are concerned) in charge of each ship at the time of the shipping casualty, and in the cases mentioned in clause (d) of sub-section (1), where the master of the ship concerned or (except in the case of a loss) where the ship concerned proceeded to anyplace in India from the place where the shipping casualty has occurred, the master of the ship, shall, on arriving in India, give immediate notice of the shipping casualty to the officer appointed in this behalf by the Central Government. | 
