Sea Diamond’s Captain, Crew under Investigation over Accident

The captain and several crew members from the Sea Diamond, which sank just off the Greek island of Santorini two week ago, could face negligence and other charges by Greek authorities, according to a report from the Athens News Agency in Greece.

The captain, who has yet to be publicly identified, reportedly told prosecutors in a deposition over the weekend that unexpected sea currents pushed the ship onto a reef and that efforts to correct the drift failed.

Greek prosecutors are considering charges that include violations of maritime regulations in collisions, environmental pollution from an oil spill that resulted, and potentially more serious charges in connection with two missing passengers.

According to wire reports and news service reports, the collision with a reef just off Santorini’s harbor gashed a hole in the ship’s side, eventually causing it to sink. Two French passengers remain missing, but no other serious injuries were reported. An evacuation, described by passengers as chaotic, took more than three hours.

Investigators are looking further into the cause of the accident and why the 21-year-old ship, which was carrying about 1,600 passengers and crew on a Greek island vacation, would sink.