Ferry Boat Captain Arrested in Nea Styra

The captain of the ferry boat that ran aground in Nea Styra has been arrested. The investigator at the Chalkida port authority ordered his detention on charges of causing a shipwreck through negligence. The captain will be brought back before the authorities on Friday.

The captain did not immediately inform the authorities about the grounding. The Unified Search and Rescue Coordination Center (E.K.S.E.D) contacted him ten minutes after the incident, after repeated attempts.

The actions of the shipping company are being investigated by the prosecutor's office, following complaints of omissions. The Ministry of Shipping informed the competent Prosecutor about the failure of the shipping company to respond to the required actions for detachment and salvage.

The ship ran aground on Tuesday afternoon, August 5. There were 105 passengers and 9 crew members on board. All passengers were safely transported to Nea Styra. Due to a lack of accommodation, 47 passengers were transported to Marmari and Karystos. A detachment operation with tugboats is currently underway.