that Lakonia should not have passed safety inspections before sailing. Lifeboat davits were rusted and lockers containing lifesaving equipment failed to open. The drain holes in many of the lifeboats lacked stoppers, so that passengers had to constantly bail water. The crew had conducted a lifeboat drill a week before the voyage, but only five of the boats had been lowered. The board argued that all of the boats should have been tested. Charges of looting were dropped after extensive questioning. The crew maintained that they had only broken into cabins to search for lifejackets. The board of inquiry made a number of other charges. The order to abandon ship was given too late. Operations on deck were not supervised by responsible officers. The crew, except for a few acts of self-sacrifice, failed to rescue sleeping passengers from their cabins below decks. Eight of Lakonia's officers were charged with negligence. Captain Zarbis, his first officer and the ship's security officer were charged with gross negligence. The other five men were charged with simple negligence. The cause of the fire was ultimately determined to be a short circuit of faulty electrical wiring. See also List of maritime disasters Notes ^ The available sources do not specify whether these are statute miles or nautical miles. References External links – history and pictures – Granada Television World In Action'' episode International maritime incidents Ocean liners Shipwrecks in the Atlantic Ocean Steamships Ship fires Maritime incidents in 1963 1929 ships Passenger ships of Greece Passenger ships of the Netherlands Ships built by Nederlandsche Scheepsbouw Maatschappij