Greece Grounds Passenger Ships
DATELINE: 10/01/2000
Note: Information on the 2007 sinking of the "Sea Diamond" off of Santorini can be found here
Responding to accusations that Greek ferries are not safe after the sinking of the "Express Samina" which killed at least 76 people last week and the unintentional grounding of another ferry, Greece has taken the extraordinary step of removing dozens of ferries and passenger ships from service.
The ban begins at midnight on Sunday, October 1st (early Monday morning). The affected ships will have 20 days to prove that they are in compliance with EU regulations, or they will be pulled from service until they meet those standards, Reuters reported.
Most of the ships pulled from service are older vessels. The Express Samina at 34 years since initial launch, was near the end of its working lifetime which is considered to be 35 years of service.
What This Means to You
What you need to do and know if you're traveling in Greece this month.
In other shipping news:
Another yacht, the Zeus III carrying about 38 passengers, sank off the coast of Naxos. An 82-year-old man died of a heart attack during the evacuation.
Sources and Resources:
Greek Tragedy at Sea
The sinking of the "Express Samina".
Greece Ferry Overhaul Promised
AP story on events leading up to the ban.
Greek Island Hopping - Ferry Updates
Was the refurbished "Express Samina" still a "vessel from hell" according to this website?
Search for Greek Ferry Survivors
From the BBC, an account of rescue efforts.
AP
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