the drive towards this new law was driven in particular from a string of transport - related incidents in the late 1980s , such as the sinking of crosses - channel ferries the herald of free economy in 1987 , the oil platform g alpha disaster in 1988 , and the duchess kingston river boat fire in 1989 . more than 400 people lose their minds in these major events , but no specific individual or organisation was brought to account .
100 or more people lost their lives in a ferry sinking.