MV Jupiter (1961)
MV Jupiter was a Greek-registered cruise ship that sank on 21 October 1988, within 40 minutes of leaving the Greek port of Piraeus. On board were 391 British schoolchildren and 84 adults on a study cruise and 110 crew. The disaster claimed the lives of one pupil, one teacher and two Greek crew members. The ship Jupiter was originally known as Moledet ("Fatherland") and was a passenger ship registered in the port of Haifa in 1961. The 7,810-tonne vessel was built for Zim (Israel Navigation Company Ltd) and sailed regular voyages around the Mediterranean. In September 1970, Moledet was sold to Epirotiki Line, a Greek shipping company, and renamed Jupiter. Sinking of the Jupiter On 21 October 1988, 391 schoolchildren aged 13 to 16 and their teachers boarded Jupiter at the Greek port of Piraeus at the start of a week-long educational cruise around the Mediterranean. Just 15 minutes after leaving port, the Jupiter was struck by an Italian freight ship, the Adige, that was entering port. The collision tore a by hole in Jupiters port side. Within 40 minutes (at 6:55p.m.), the ship had sunk vertically and stern first in of water. The lives of two passengers (a pupil