The recent technical issues faced by the Jadrolinija ferry have caused inconvenience for passengers traveling to the Dalmatian island of Ist. On Wednesday afternoon, due to a malfunction in the electrical installations on the ferry Vladimir Nazor, passengers and vehicles were unable to disembark on Ist and had to return to Zadar.
The malfunction on the ferry’s electrical installations could not be resolved during the voyage, leading to the delay in disembarkation on the island of Ist. The ferry, filled with people and vehicles, circled around Ist for about 40 minutes as they were unable to lower the gangway. Eventually, they had to return to the port in Zadar, where another ferry took over and set sail towards the islands again around 7 p.m. The captain of the ferry, Saša Radić, assured that the passengers, crew, cargo, and the ship itself were not in danger during the incident. He mentioned that all procedures were followed accordingly, but the technical issue could not be fixed while at sea.
This is not the first time Jadrolinija ferries have faced problems in recent months. The most tragic incident occurred in August in Mali Lošinj when three crew members lost their lives and one was seriously injured in an accident involving the ferry Lastovo’s gangway collapse.
In mid-August, the ferry Tin Ujević experienced a malfunction with its gangway, and at the end of July, the ferry Oliver broke down on its way from Split to the island of Korčula, leaving passengers stranded at sea for several hours. Towards the end of August, the gangway of the ferry Mljet collapsed while entering the port on the island of Brač.
These incidents highlight the importance of regular maintenance and safety checks on ferry vessels to ensure the well-being of passengers and crew members. Jadrolinija and other ferry operators must prioritize the safety and comfort of their passengers to prevent such technical issues from occurring in the future.