The Minister of Ministry of the Sea, Transport and Infrastructure, Oleg Butkovic, said that the investigation into the Mali Losinj ferry accident was still ongoing and that he was therefore unable to comment on it. However, "he would " insist on independent investigations by the competent institutions in this case".

Butkovic, who gave an interview with public broadcaster HTV on Tuesday evening, expressed his condolences to the families of the three sailors who lost their lives when the ramp of the Jadrolinija vessel “Lastovo” fell on them and wished a speedy recovery to the fourth sailor, who is being treated in hospital following the serious injuries he sustained in Sunday’s accident in the town of Mali Losinj.

“We will look for answers, and that is why it is necessary that an independent, complete and comprehensive investigation is carried out,” the minister said, emphasising that the bereaved families deserve the truth.

“It is our duty to find out exactly what happened,” he said, describing the ferry accident as an unprecedented tragedy.

The union warned of the problems weeks before the accident

Regarding the accusations of the Croatian Seafarers’ Union (SPH) about the responsibility of the Jadrolinija management, Butkovic said that it was still too early to talk about anyone’s responsibility.

The SPH had published the letters addressed to him, in which they warned of problems and the poor condition of the Jadrolinija fleet, about a month before the accident and asked for an urgent meeting with the minister.

Butkovic said that the modernisation of the fleet was underway and that the average age of the vessels had been reduced by eight years in recent years.

“We have decided to procure five new catamarans this year. The procedures are ongoing and we cannot buy and build new vessels overnight,” he added, saying that “this is a process that takes time.”

The government is involved in the process and we are doing our best, he said.