Neptune (ship, 1993)

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Neptune
Technical specifications
Ship type: ferry
Displacement: metric tons
Length (o.a.): about 55 m
Width (above): m
Draft: m
Drive: Diesel engine
Power: kW
Speed: node
Passengers: 1,000 to 2,000 (around 650 according to approval)
Team: unknown
Completion:
Fate: sunk
on February 17, 1993

The Neptune was a ferry that sank off Haiti on February 17, 1993 . To date, it is unclear how many deaths the ferry accident caused, according to various estimates, between 500 and 2000 people died.

history

The older ferry with three passenger decks was used in passenger service on the Haitian coast, from more remote places on the peninsula to the Haitian capital Port-au-Prince . Caused by the political situation in Haiti, the ferry was in a desolate condition, due to the poor economic conditions in the country. There were no marine radios, lifeboats , life jackets or other significant life-saving equipment on board. Since the Neptune functioned as the only connection between some places on its route, it was regularly loaded to the limit of what was possible with charcoal , cattle, agricultural products and other goods. Just as often, up to 2,000 passengers were taken on board, well in excess of the maximum number of 600 to 650 people for whom the ferry was intended.

At the time of the accident, the Neptune was under the command of Captain Benjamin St. Clair on the weekly night passage of around 200 nautical miles from the remote town of Jérémie in the west of the southern peninsula to Port-au-Prince. After the ferry service had ceased in the weeks before the voyage, because the owners of the ship feared that it could be hijacked and used for an attempt to escape to the United States , a particularly large number of travelers had gathered. To make matters worse, other ferries hijacked for escape attempts had been sunk by the US Coast Guard after they were arrested, which further increased the lack of ferry space in the country. Around 800 official travel tickets had been sold for the trip, with a variable percentage of additional passengers without tickets on board. It is estimated that between 1,500 and 2,500 people were on board the ship during this crossing (differing sources).

For unknown reasons, the ferry sank before dusk on February 18, 1993 during constant heavy rain. In an interview on a local radio station, the captain, who survived the accident, said that a particularly heavy rain shower fell on the ferry, which then made water. The frightened passengers all ran to one side of the ship and capsized it . According to other statements, parts of the deck collapsed when a large part of the passengers streamed to one side of the ship, which led to a water ingress and the subsequent capsizing. With the help of floating debris, Captain St. Clair managed to save himself ashore with a group of around 60 people. By the evening of the day between 141 and 300 people (differing sources) managed to swim ashore or to be rescued at sea. It was only when bodies were washed up on the beaches of the southern town of Mirogoane and the island of Petit-Goave the following day that the news of the ship's sinking became public. US Coast Guard boats were ordered to the scene of the accident, but they were there too late to save lives.

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