How many British died on Herald of Free Enterprise?

The Herald of Free Enterprise was bound for the Port of Dover on 6 March 1987 when it capsized at Zeebrugge harbour in Belgium, killing 193 people. A remembrance service was held at St Mary's Church in Dover, and the names of all the passengers and crew who lost their lives were read out.



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Miles and other passengers who survived the disaster 35 years ago now feature in a Channel 5 documentary Why Ships Sink: The Herald of Free Enterprise, which will air tonight. Devastatingly, 31-year-old Martin's body has never been found and was assumed to still be on board, leaving Miles with little closure.

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A public court of inquiry into the disaster placed the blame on three of the ferry's staff: assistant boatswain Mark Stanley, who failed to close the bow doors after falling asleep in his cabin during a short break; first officer Leslie Sabel, who failed to ensure the bow doors were closed; and captain David Lewry for ...

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The judge, Sir Michael Turner, told the jury that there was not enough evidence to convict the ship's owners, P & O European Ferries Ltd., or five of seven individuals who were being tried, including the ship's captain, David Lewry.

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Bereaved families and survivors of the Zeebrugge ferry disaster gathered to mark its 35th anniversary. The Herald of Free Enterprise was bound for the Port of Dover on 6 March 1987 when it capsized at Zeebrugge harbour in Belgium, killing 193 people.

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Carly Zutic, from Dumfries, Scotland passed away suddenly at her home after a long battle with drug addiction, the Daily Record reported. Carly was just nine weeks old when she survived the sinking of the Herald of Free Enterprise in March 1987.

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But only three of them made it back. Their day of fun turned into a day of horror within 90 seconds as the ship capsized, killing 193 people, including Miles' best friend Martin Spooner.

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The direct cause of the disaster was human error: the assistant bosun, responsible for closing the bow doors of this roll-on/roll-off ferry, had fallen asleep in his cabin and slept through the alarm telling crew that the ship was sailing.

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On September 28, 1994, 852 people die in one of the worst maritime disasters of the century when the Estonia, a large car-and-passenger ferry, sinks in the Baltic Sea.

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The Pride of Bruges and the Pride of York sailed nightly between Hull and Zeebrugge in Belgium until P&O Ferries ended the service in January due to a drop in demand. The ships, which can carry more than 1,000 passengers and 850 cars, are listed on a German shipbrokers website.

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The capsizing of the Herald of Free Enterprise revealed negligence involving the ship's crew as well as the significant responsibility of the management of the company operating the ship for the accident.

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