Denmark "Scandinavian Star" tragedy: task force criticizes authority

According to a new investigation, the 159 people who died in the fire disaster on the North Sea ferry "Scandinavian Star" would have had a better chance of survival if the ship had been inspected by the authorities beforehand. This is the conclusion reached by an independent Danish task force after years of investigation into the tragedy, which occurred in 1990 between Norway and Denmark.

If the Danish Maritime Authority had carried out a so-called port state control of the ferry at the time, this would very likely have reduced the extent of the disaster and given the passengers a better chance of survival, according to the expert group's final report. Such an inspection is a fairly standard inspection of a ship to ensure that international standards for safety and working conditions on board are met.

According to the experts, ship inspectors would have requested that a fire drill be held after such an inspection. This would have better prepared the crew to deal with the consequences of the arson.

Tragedy on the way from Norway to Denmark

The "Scandinavian Star" caught fire in the Skagerrak on the night of April 7, 1990 on its way from Oslo to Frederikshavn in northern Denmark with around 480 people on board. 159 people lost their lives. Investigations revealed that the fire had broken out in various places on the ferry and that it was probably arson - in its report, the task force refers to two arson attacks on the ferry.

The catastrophe was never finally investigated over the years. The task force was therefore set up in 2021 by the Danish government and a broad parliamentary majority to shed new light on the case by investigating the shipping company, ownership and insurance relationships. According to the original plan, the investigation was to be completed after around one and a half years - it has now taken more than twice as long.

Relatives and survivors have strongly criticized the earlier investigations. They are of the opinion that the fire was caused by attempted insurance fraud - however, the task force considers an economic motive to be unlikely, as it wrote.