1987: Zeebrugge inquest returns verdict of unlawful killing

A coroner’s inquest into the Zeebrugge ferry disaster returns verdicts of unlawful killing on 8 October 1987.

The Herald of Free Enterprise capsized off Zeebrugge, Belgium, on 6 March 1987, killing 193 people. The ship’s bow doors had been left open, flooding the car decks and causing it to become unstable.

The tragedy led to new safety regulations in the British ferry industry.

BBC Archive: Originally broadcast 8 October 1987.