Victims of ferry disaster remembered, 25 years on

The names of the 193 people who died in the Zeebrugge ferry disaster were read out at a memorial service to mark the 25th anniversary of the disaster yesterday.

It took 10 minutes to read out the list of the passengers and staff who perished when the British-flagged Herald of Free Enterprise capsized.

It was on the evening of March 6 1987 that the Townsend Thoresen-operated roll-on, roll-off ferry turned over on its side in Zeebrugge harbour, Belgium, as it set out for Dover.

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Heroics by crew and passengers led to the majority of those on board surviving, but more than 150 passengers and nearly 40 crew perished.

Yesterday more than 250 bereaved families and friends, as well as survivors of the tragedy, came together to mark the anniversary at St Mary The Virgin Church in Dover in a service organised by the Sailors’ Society, a Christian charity which supports merchant seafarers.

The Rt Rev Trevor Willmott, the Bishop of Dover, said that the “sadness and sorrow is undiminished” with the passing of time.“ Although time has passed, the scars from that day, physical, emotional and spiritual, will remain until the end of our lives.”

The congregation were handed stars on which messages were written which will be transcribed into a book of remembrance. Among those who bowed their heads for a two-minute silence was the Reverend Ken Martin, from Felixstowe, Suffolk, who was the first chaplain to arrive at the Naval Station at Zeebrugge.

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He said: “When I arrived there, I met a man who had lost his wife and son. The whole thing is as fresh today as it was back then. It was a very sad occasion and I can’t believe it was 25 years ago”

Later, a memorial rose garden planted with 25 white roses to mark the 25th anniversary was dedicated and floral tributes cast from Dover’s Prince of Wales pier.

A public inquiry into the disaster confirmed that the ferry had left Zeebrugge with its bow doors open, allowing water to flood the car deck.

The crew member responsible for closing the doors was asleep at the time.

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