The victims of the Zeebrugge ferry disaster (are) being remembered to the service in Dover. Survivors and relatives of those who died sang hymns and read eulogies at the church service. Twenty years ago, 193 people died when the Herald of Free Enterprise turned on its side. The Townsend Thoresen ferry capsized because its bow doors hadn't been closed, allowing water to flood the car deck. John Spots has this.

We remember Berry Alan, Ellin Badly, Allen Badly, Richard, Jeffrey Henry, David Harris, Leta Paris, Nichola Pain, Thomas Pitch.

The Herald of Free Enterprise left Zeebrugge shortly after 6 in the evening. It was carrying a full load with 459 passengers on board. At 6:28 it began to list, and one minute later, it capsized. The captain of the ferry had crossed the channel some 60,000 times, yet on March 6, 1987, he left the harbor with the bow doors open. The result was catastrophic.

I roused by helicopter; we went down in the ship, and it's incredible to see what happened. Er..people are drowning in the ice-cold water. 193 people lost their lives and many of those who made it out of the vessel had suffered greatly.

We saw some, well, some terrible injuries that people had got scourged, you know, arms and, er, it was just, just awful.

Like many on board, Jackie Wilson had taken advantage of a cheap travel promotion in a newspaper. Yet that night she found herself looking after a boy who'd been separated from his family.

We had tried everything to try to find his mother and the rest of his family because he'd got completely split up. And and he stayed overnight. We managed to get him to sleep and the next day, we went down again trying to find his family for him. And then we found his mother, that was, she was in a hospital. And the rest of his family had died.

A public enquiry castigated the ferry's owners, part of the PNO Group. Yet no one was convicted by the courts, still the campaign for a new law of corporal manslaughters started here with the Zeebrugge disaster. And 20 years later, a bill is currently under consideration in Parliament.

Surprisingly, the Herald's sister ship is still in service. New safety features, however, are plain to see. Progress has been made. Yet, there are those, like the man who coordinated the rescue efforts on that night 20 years ago, who can't forget what happened.

Couldn't we save more people? Hardly I don't think so, but you never know, it's still, you know, something which is, you think about that.

There is a memorial site now in Dover. Relatives of those who lost their lives come every year to remember that "dark and dreadful" night, and leave with what little comfort they can find.
John Sports reporting.

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1.hymn:n. A hymn is a religious song that Christians sing in church. 赞美诗, 圣歌

2.eulogy:n. A eulogy is a speech, usually at a funeral, in which a person who has just died is praised. 赞词, 称颂