Chirac visits liner tragedy scene

Thirty people fell about 50 feet when a gangway collapsed: 16 died

French president Jacques Chirac is to visit the scene of the accident on a Cunard cruise liner which claimed 16 lives.

They died on Saturday when a gangway collapsed on the almost-completed Queen Mary 2 in the port of Saint Nazaire.

Some 32 others, including children, were also hurt in the accident, when families of the ship workers were visiting the dry dock.

Mr Chirac said the accident had been "of particular cruelty".

Investigation

Two groups of families were being shown around the liner when the accident happened, according to a spokesman for shipyard owners Alstom.

We all tried to hang on to the gangway as well as we could as we fell Jason Schmitt, survivor Queen Mary 2: The ultimate luxury liner

The spokesman said those people injured in the tragedy were still in hospital, one of them in a critical condition.

A few people survived the fall unharmed.

One, Jason Schmitt, told France-2 television: "We all tried to hang on to the gangway as well as we could as we fell. It was terrible."

An investigation is already under way, the Alstom spokesman said.

The 10m (30ft) walkway from the quayside to the ship had been constructed just the day before it broke.

"Unfortunately the ship is now dry docked so there is no water below, " he said.

"The poor people fell down direct from a height of 15 metres [50 feet] to the bottom of the dock."

Temporary gangplank

Pamela Conover, president of Cunard, said: "Our thoughts and prayers are with their friends and relatives at this time of sorrow."

The gangplank connecting the ship to the dock was believed to have been constructed temporarily for the open day and would not have been used by passengers, a spokesman for the company said.

Click here for facts about the ship

On Sunday shipyard workers, visibly shocked, hugged sobbing family members who were trying to identify remains of those who died.

Mourners left bouquets of flowers outside the gate of the shipyard.

Fabrice Ponchaux, 32, lost his mother and his aunt in the accident. His father was in the hospital.

"This ship should have been our national pride," he said, while another woman sobbed: "Why didn't they put in a net?"

Maiden voyage

The gangway was put in place by specialist French firm Endel, and had been designed to hold far more people than were on it when it collapsed.

The ship, destined to be the flagship of British cruise giant Cunard, has been under construction at the Chantiers de l'Atlantique shipyard in the western port of Saint Nazaire since 2002.

It completed sea trials a few days ago and is due to sail to her home port of Southampton around Christmas.

The Queen Mary 2 is the largest and most expensive passenger ship ever built, 345 metres long and as tall as a 23-storey building.

The Queen is expected to officially name the £550m, 2,620-passenger vessel in a ceremony on 8 January, 2004.

Its maiden passenger voyage will be to Florida four days later. A Cunard spokeswoman in Miami said there were currently no plans to reschedule the trip.

Return