Murder Charges in Greek Ferry Tragedy

A T H E N S, Greece, Sept. 28 -- The captain of a Greek passenger ferry and his three crew members have been charged with multiple counts of murder after their ship sank on Tuesday, killing at least 66 people.

Greek prosecutors want to know why the Samina Express, which was carrying more than 500 people, struck a rocky outcrop marked by a light beacon that could be seen for 7 miles.

Investigators were focusing on reports that the ship was apparently on automatic pilot minutes before the crash, bolstering accounts by survivors that crew members were watching a European Champions League soccer match on television when the ship sank two miles from shore.

A fierce gale has stopped all boat traffic to and from the area, hampering efforts by navy divers and rescue crews to find at least eight missing people.

That number could rise as it is not known exactly how many children under 5 — who did not need a ticket — were on board. Rescue teams said there could be up to 14 missing.

Additional Allegations

Although the ship had just passed an inspection, a prosecutor was investigating accusations the 34-year-old Express Samina had propulsion and steering problems. Described as a “rusting hulk” by the Greek Merchant Marine Mechanics Union, the ferry was to be decommissioned next year.

Survivors have also accused the crew of panicking and failing to organize the evacuation of the ship, saying life boats were not quickly deployed. After the crash, according to some survivors, people panicked and the crew ignored the custom of evacuating women and children first.

Many attributed their rescue to the proximity of the shore, and a small fleet of fishing boats that sped to the sinking vessel.

But a crew member insisted that the evacuation was orderly.

“There was time enough for all of us to get out, including thepeople in the cabins. We got them all out,” StephanosPapadopoulos, a ship’s officer, told Athens’ Antenna television.