Another Zanzibar Ferry Sinks – 38 Dead, 100 Missing

Last September we posted about the sinking of a ferry off Zanzibarwith the loss of 200 passengers.  Yesterday, another ferry sank off the Zanzibar coast. Thirty eight are confirmed dead with another 100 missing.  Zanzibar police spokesman Mohamed Mhina said, “Search operations continue but … Continue reading

Double-Decker Ferry Sinks in Brahmaputra River in North-East India – 200 Dead or Missing

A double-decker ferry carrying an estimated 350 people capsized, broke apart and sank in the Brahmaputra River in heavy weather.  The ferry was traveling between Dhubri to Fakirganjan in Assam state and was reported to be overloaded with passengers and cargo, and carried … Continue reading

US Tourist, 75, Dies After Ferry Boat to Blue Lagoon Island Sinks in the Bahamas

A popular, full-day excursion to Blue Lagoon Island, from a cruise ship docked in Nassau in the Bahamas, ended in tragedy on Tuesday when a ferry boat loaded with 100 passengers rolled over and sank in choppy waters. A 75-year-old … Continue reading

Three Years Later, Raising the Sewol Ferry — the Tragedy Which Helped Bring Down Korea’s President

On April 16, 2014, the cargo/passenger ferry Sewol capsized off the southwestern coast of Korea. Of the 476 passengers and crew aboard, 304 died, the majority of which were high school students on a school field trip. Now, almost three … Continue reading

Student Teams Compete to Design Safe Affordable Ferry Design

The news stories are depressingly familiar.  A ferry, often in a developing nation, sinks along the coast or in a river and the lives of hundred are lost.  In regions where ferries are the most necessary, they are often the … Continue reading

Are Passenger Ro-Ros Inherently Unsafe? The Sewol Tragedy & Past Passenger/Ro-Ro Disasters

Are passenger ro-ro ferries inherently unsafe? No one knows why the passenger ro-ro ferry Sewol capsized last Wednesday off the south-west coast of Korea. There are indications that poor crew training and inadequate safety and evacuation procedures may have contributed … Continue reading