The ship had capsized so quickly the crew were unable
to send out an SOS. Given that the design and buoyancy
of most modern ships is such that, in the event of an
imminent capsize or other emergency, there should be
sufficient time to deploy lifesaving equipment and fully
evacuate, the accident had serious implications.
According to the official enquiry, promptly ordered
by the Government, the fundamental error was that the
ship put to sea with its outer and inner bow doors fully
open. As speed built up, a flood of water entered the
vehicle deck and caused the rapid sinking. Blame was
attributed to four crew members and the Townsend Thoresen
management.
The disaster shook the whole community of Dover and
the surrounding area. There was hardly a family which
did not have a family member or know someone on board
the ship, or had family and friends involved in the
cross-Channel trade. There is a memorial window to the
disaster in
St
Mary-the-Virgin Church in Dover.
