Assessors say ship’s instruments could not have prevented Sea Diamond sinking off Santorini
Three experts have told a court in Piraeus that the sinking of the Sea Diamond cruise liner off the coast of Santorini was virtually unavoidable given the charts the ship’s crew was using were incorrect.
Two French tourists, Jean Christophe Allain, 45, and his daughter Maud, 16, lost their lives in the accident, which happened in 2007 after the ship hit a volcanic reef.
The assessors, appointed by a prosecutor on Naxos, said that the ship’s instruments could not have prevented the vessel hitting the reef. They concluded giving evidence on Monday.
The charts being used by the captain were out by 74 meters.
There are questions, however, about why the captain sailed so close to the shore.
A total of 13 people, including members of the crew and owners Louis Hellenic Cruise Lines, face misdemeanor charges in connection with the sinking.
