European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - March 8, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse I Jris Ide stripes d Nixon loses round in papers dispute Pago 5 d chasing a dream for decades Page 9 d College basketball tournaments Page 21 Autho Idieo unofficial fun us ton f0� tit us. Ahmed for to vol. 45. No. 322 sunday March 8, 1987 .ew,.msi d 8693 a death toll in capsizing of ferry May top 150 Zeebrugge Belgium a divers saturday searched icy North sea Waters for survivors after a giant British ferry with More than 500 people aboard rolled on its Side. At least 49 people were killed and doctor said he saw More than 100 dead. Related Sto Ries photos on pages 3,28. Chances of finding More survivors were very negative British transport Secretary John Moore told a news Confer ence after flying to pc Brugge from England. The cause of the disaster remained unknown. Officials on opposite sides of the Strait of Dover which connects the North sea with the English Chan Nel gave conflicting figures on the extent of the disaster the worst in the Busy waterway in modern times. Most of those aboard were said to be British tourists Many of them Zeebrugge Olivier Vannist governor of West Flanders province put the total aboard at 343 people including 80 Crew members. He said is bodies had been recovered 24 hours after the disaster and said 84were missing. He said an official investigation has begun. In the English port of Dover Paul Ovington spokesman for ship owner Townsend Tho Resen said 547 people had been aboard including 85 Crew Mem Bers. He said 49 bodies had been recovered and408 people survived leaving 90 people Unac counted for. The differing figures Lewry could not be immediately 7,95 a Lon Herald of free Enterprise capsized at about 7 50 . Friday. It Lay Semi submerged on a Sandy bed about 1,000 Yards outside the Entrance to Zeebrugge Harbor which is at the Southern end of the North sea near the Strait of Dover. Or. Roland Welleman who treated the ferry s Cap Tain quoted his patient As saying the ferry went Down in one minute and he had no time to Send a distress Lewry 46. Who is being treated for Shock and a punctured lung in a Brugge Hospital told Welleman he heard some sort of crash and then the ship went Down said the British news Agency press association. It. Cmdr. Alphonse Daems. The superintendent of the belgian Navy s diving corps who coordinated div ing operations estimated that 70 to 80 bodies had been recovered by midday including infants and Chil s the worst pan of he told the associated see ferry on Page 28 Bow doors agape the ferry Herald of free Enterprise lies awash As Rescue vessels wait alongside it off Zebri Irge. Survivors recall their terror As ship capsized Zeebrugge. Belgium map survivors of the ferry disaster just off this belgian port said they desperately climbed cafeteria tables and smashed win Dows to escape the icy water Rushing into the Capri my Herald of free Enterprise. It was sobbed Rosina whose Little boy also sunned but whose Boyfriend was missing. The disaster struck Friday night just As the 7,951 ton ferry loaded with Over 500 people. 36 trucks and 84 cars had pulled out of Zeebrugge. The vessel from still undetermined causes filled with water and rolled Over onto its Side. I was in the ship s said Summerfield. The water came up higher and we climbed higher to gel out of the Waler. We were trapped they smashed the windows and put ladders were panicking screaming and shouting. It was 15 to 20 minutes Belore help came hut it was a Long time and we were in the dark. My Boyfriend. I can t find him i am not Hurt myself but my Little boy s Arm is Virv she said weeping. Another survivor. Peter rav. Told Britain s Independent television news there were screams. People just did t know what to do. People were sort of falling off because they were hanging on to seats. They were just falling people close to me went under. There Are so Many bodies in there. It was terrible. It was a Nightmare he said. The boat just started to list and it just kept Arthur Edwards 43, a truck Driver from Stafford England. I was sitting in the Drivers restaurant. I fell the see survivors on Page 28
