A
French court fined a Saint Nazaire shipyard and the builder of a
gangway that collapsed in November 2003 during the construction of
the Queen Mary 2.
The accident killed 15
and injured 29. In 2005, another person died of injuries sustained
in the accident.
The Associated Press
and several European news outlets reported that the shipyard,
Chantiers de l'Atlantique, and the company that built the walkway,
Endel, were ordered to each pay about $260,000 in fines. The court
acquitted eight employees of those companies who were accused of
manslaughter.
Chantiers was bought by
Norway's Aker Yards in 2006, and is now called Aker Yards
France.
The Queen Mary 2 was
under construction and about a month from delivery when the
accident occurred. Shipyard workers and their families were touring
the liner while it was in drydock.
To
contact reporter Johanna Jainchill, send e-mail to [email protected].