ZEEBRUGGE — 1987 · Major Tragedy
The Herald of Free Enterprise Ferry Disaster
The Herald of Free Enterprise, a British car ferry operated by Townsend Thoresen, capsized minutes after leaving the Belgian port of Zeebrugge for Dover on the evening of 6 March 1987. The ship had left harbour with its bow door open; seawater rapidly flooded the vehicle deck and within minutes the ferry was lying on its side in shallow water. 193 passengers and crew died, one of Britain's worst peacetime maritime disasters. The crewman responsible for closing the door had been asleep, but the official inquiry placed the main blame on a 'disease of sloppiness' at every level of the company. An inquest jury returned 187 verdicts of unlawful killing; manslaughter proceedings against the company and its managers collapsed in 1990. The disaster led to fundamental changes in ship design.
- Date
- 1987
- Place
- Port of Zeebrugge, West Flanders, Belgium, Zeebrugge, BE
- Category
- Major Tragedy
- Case Status
- Closed
- Coordinates
- 51.3350, 3.1900 ↗
Timeline of Events
- 6 March 1987, eveningThe ferry capsized minutes after leaving Zeebrugge; 193 people died.
- July 1987The formal inquiry blamed a 'disease of sloppiness' in the company.
- October 1987An inquest jury returned 187 verdicts of unlawful killing.
- October 1990Manslaughter proceedings against the company and managers collapsed.
Sources
- BBC News — Zeebrugge Herald of Free Enterprise disaster remembered bbc.com ↗
- The Independent — Zeebrugge ferry disaster, 30 years on independent.co.uk ↗
- Wikipedia — MS Herald of Free Enterprise en.wikipedia.org ↗
- BBC News
- The Independent
- Wikipedia
Source grade A: several independent sources, at least one an official record or reference work. If you spot a mistake or something missing, report it with "Suggest a correction" in the app.
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🕯️ This record was prepared with respect, in memory of those who lost their lives.