Greek Captain Faces Charges Over Sinking of Cruise Liner

The captain of a cruise liner that sank last Thursday off Santorini was charged yesterday with dereliction of duty, as evidence mounted that crew members were to blame for the accident and the clumsy evacuation of 1,154 passengers that ensued. Two French tourists - a 45 year-old man and his 16-year-old daughter - remain missing.

In a move that reflects Greek fears over the incident's impact on tourism, a local prosecutor wasted no time pressing negligence charges. Appearing before the magistrate on Naxos, six men - captain, chief mate, second mate, third mate, chief cabin steward and housekeeper - were accused of causing a shipwreck through negligence, breaching international shipping safety regulations and polluting the environment, Greek television said. They were released on bail, but if convicted face a maximum five-year sentence.

The Cypriot-owned Sea Diamond ran aground off the island after hitting a well-charted coral reef as it tried to manoeuvre into Santorini's famously shallow port.

The ensuing evacuation was initially described as a textbook operation by jubilant government officials. But passengers described a massive scramble for inadequate life-jackets and crew members disappearing as soon as the ship hit the reef. Most of the 390-strong staff were said to have fled the liner before passengers could even clamber down rope ladders.