Lawsuit filed by family of Rovana shipwreck victim reveals shocking lapses
The family of a sailor who died when the Rovana (formerly Raptor) cargo ship sank 4.5 nautical miles southwest of Lesvos in the eastern Aegean in November 2023 have filed a lawsuit in Greece, accusing the ship’s foreign owners and their insurance company of gross negligence.
The lawsuit reveals disturbing details about the Rovana’s final journey, including engine malfunctions, water pumps running continuously for five days and broken lifeboats.
The plaintiffs claim that the tragedy was the result of the vessel not being seaworthy and lacking proper safety measures, and the captain’s failure to seek timely assistance.
Of the 14 Egyptian sailors on board, only one survived. One body was recovered and the rest were lost at sea. The ship had been struggling for days with severe technical issues, including significant water ingress and an increasing tilt, but the captain delayed seeking help from Greek authorities. When he finally requested a tow, it was too late and the ship went down just 10 minutes later.
The ship’s issues were not new. Authorities stopped the ship in Tulcea, Romania, in August 2023 owing to a variety of concerns. Inspectors discovered corroded plates full of holes and openings in the ship’s hull, in nacelles, bulkheads, watertight doors, side decks and cabin covers. They also found damage to engines, non-operating pumps, a lack of life-saving appliances, fire protection and fire-fighting equipment, wooden interior parts in a state of severe decay and collapse, and inadequate conditions of basic hygiene and accommodation for the crew.
The Raptor had been certified as being in good condition by a Greek company.
According to the lawsuit, the ship’s hull had pre-existing flaws and holes caused by years of poor and sloppy maintenance. They were allegedly “patched up” in some spots with quick-setting cement and waterproofing foam from within the ship. It frequently sailed between Egypt, Turkey, Libya, Albania, Ukraine and Lebanon. It is believed that it chose these ports to avoid extensive examinations regarding its seaworthiness.
