THE relatives and friends of those who died in the Marchioness tragedy have attended a memorial service at Southwark Cathedral to remember their loved ones 25 years after the disaster.
Gathered around a memorial stone at the cathedral, the families and some survivors heard the names read out of all 51 young people who died in the tragedy.
At 1.46am, the pleasure boat Marchioness was struck by the suction dredger Bowbelle. Witnesses at the enquiry described the massive dredger weighing around 1,800 tonnes strike the side of the Marchionessas,“hitting it about its centre then mounting it, pushing it under the water like a toy boat.”
The anchor of the 262ft-long, Bowbelle cut through the side of the riverboat, peeling its roof straight off. The Marchioness rolled over within seconds and filled with water as it capsized, ripping away its superstructure as it was forced underneath the enormous dredger.
Just 30 seconds after the collision, the smaller boat was completely immersed. Of the
131 guests on board, only 80 survived the crash.
The Marchioness Action Group, set up by bereavedfriends and relatives led a campaign for improved safety standards on the Thames that eventually led to lifeboat services and other safety features being introduced on the river.
The disaster was found by the Marine Accident Investigation Branch to have been caused by the poor visibility from each ship’s wheelhouses. Both vessels were using the centre of the river, and there was a lack of clear instructions to the lookout at the bow of the Bowbelle.
In 2002, the Royal National Lifeboat Institution set up four lifeboat stations at Gravesend, Tower Pier, Chiswick Pier and Teddington.
Representatives of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution and the Port of London Authority attended today’s service.
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