The Rijeka State Attorney's Office has announced that the on-site investigation in the harbour of Mali Losinj, where three crew members of the Jadrolinija tragically lost their lives on Sunday, has revealed that the accident was caused by the collapse of the ship's ramp.

he office stated that all the necessary arrangements are being made to determine the circumstances of the accident.

“According to the information gathered so far, the accident on the ferry ‘Lastovo’ appears to have been caused by the collapse of the ramp used for boarding the vehicles, under which two helmsmen, the chief engineer and the first deck officer were inspecting the ramp at the time,” it said.

Unofficial reports are circulating in the media that the accident could have been caused by human error. According to these reports, the ramp was not secured with a safety pin when it fell onto the crew members.

Internal investigation has been initiated

When asked by Croatian news agency Hina about responsibility following the accident, Jadrolinija’s shipping company said that once all institutions investigating the causes and circumstances of the accident have completed their investigations, it will be able to provide full details and clarify the issue of responsibility and take the necessary measures. The operator added that its management has launched an internal investigation, as required in such cases.

The ships of the Jadrolinija fleet are flying their flags at half-mast. The company’s executives also visited the injured seaman in Rijeka hospital on Monday to wish him a speedy recovery. According to the latest information from the hospital, the patient is stable and is not in a life-threatening condition.

The crew of the “Lastovo” ferry will be replaced and the ship will soon resume ferry service between Zadar and Mali Losinj via the islands of Ist, Olib, Silba and Premuda.

CEO: There were no malfunctions

The company will provide the families of the dead seamen and the injured employee with the necessary financial, material and psychological support.

Jadrolinija CEO David Sopta told the media on Sunday that the company and all its employees were deeply saddened by the tragedy in Mali Losinj and the death of the three colleagues.

When asked by the press whether there had been any malfunctions on the ferry “Lastovo”, which was built in Japan in 1969 and has been part of Jadrolinija’s fleet since 1978, Sopta replied in the negative.

He said that there had been no previous problems with this ship, which is categorised as a RORO ship.