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Ceremonies in Belgium mark 3 decades since ferry sinking

Ceremonies in Belgium mark 3 decades since ferry sinking

ZEEBRUGGE, Belgium — Three decades after the capsizing of the British ferry Herald of Free Enterprise, victims' families are sailing out to the scene of the disaster to remember the 193 who died.

Under overcast skies and with a strong wind blowing, the tribute at sea Monday will be followed by a memorial service near the St. Donaas church in this busy North Sea port.

The Herald of Free Enterprise was on its way from Zeebrugge to Dover, England, on March 6, 1987, when water rushed in through bow doors that had been left open. In minutes, it tipped over and sank. It was the worst peacetime British maritime disaster since the Titanic sank in 1912.

The Associated Press