MTS Oceanos was a French-built and Greek-owned cruise ship that sank in 1991 when it suffered uncontrolled flooding. Her captain, Yiannis Avranas, and some of the crew fled the ship without helping the passengers; they were later convicted of negligence. The ship's entertainers made a mayday transmission, launched lifeboats, and helped South African Marines land on the ship from naval helicopters. The actions of the entertainers enabled the rescue of all 571 passengers and crew and attracted international headlines.
An explosion on the Greek cruise ship MTS Oceanos (pictured) ruptured its hull, causing it to sink off the east coast of South Africa, with all 571 people on board rescued.
On August 4, in the year 1991, An explosion on the Greek cruise ship MTS Oceanos (pictured) ruptured its hull, causing it to sink off the east coast of South Africa, with all 571 people on board rescued. This event is recorded as a Selected Events event in the history of August 4, one of 382 recorded events on this date across all of history.
Key Facts
- This event took place on August 4, 1991 (AD era).
- It is categorised as a Selected Events event in recorded history.
- Referenced in 2 Wikipedia articles.
- The event is associated with a specific geographical location (see map below).
- Wikipedia source last updated on 27 July 2026.
On This Date in History 382
This article draws on content from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
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