Shipyard workers at St Nazaire in western France were yesterday (16 November) embracing distraught family members called in to identify the remains of 16 people, killed when a crowded gangway leading to the docked cruise ship Queen Mary II collapsed.

The accident, a day earlier, initially claimed 13 lives, but three more people had died of their injuries by Sunday morning, according to officials at the shipyard. About 30 others were injured. Many of the casualties were family members of the workers building the ship.

The gangway was installed on Friday to accommodate a weekend visit by construction workers and their families of the nearly complete liner before its maiden voyage on 12 January.

Patrick Boissier, president of the Chantiers d’Atlantique construction company, told an Associated Press journalist that it was still unclear what caused the gangway to buckle: “It’s too early to say what happened,” he said. “There will be an investigation.”

British Cunard Lines, owned by Miami-based Carnival, said the inaugural voyage from Southampton to Fort Lauderdale is likely to go ahead as planned. The company issued a statement on Saturday offering “thoughts and prayers” for the victims and their families. It made no comment on the accident itself.

The Queen Mary II is the world’s largest passenger ship at 1,138 feet long and 238 feet high – as tall as a 21-storey building.

The St Nazaire shipyard is closed today (Monday 17 November) for a day of mourning. Details: www.cunardline.com