ATHENS, April 10 (RIA Novosti) - The crew is to blame for the sinking of the Greek cruise ship Sea Diamond last week off a Greek island in the Aegean Sea, Greek Mercantile Marine Minister Manolis Kefalogiannis said Tuesday.
The Sea Diamond, with 1,195 passengers and 391 crewmembers on board, apparently hit a reef last Thursday and began listing near Santorini Island, about half a mile away, before sinking the next day.
All on board were rescued except for two French citizens, who are still missing.
Kefalogiannis praised the rescue work which saved over 1,500 people, adding that currently Greece was working to prevent any environmental damage and on finding the two missing French citizens, a father and daughter 45 and 16 years of age.
The evacuation effort, which involved seven helicopters, two military transport airplanes, two frigates and dozens of lifeboats, was completed last Thursday.
