If the authorities had carried out a so-called port state control of the ferry in April 1990, the passengers would have had a greater chance of survival, concludes the politically appointed group that has investigated the incident for three years.
"It would have likely reduced the scope of the disaster", writes the group.
Of 482 people on board, 159 lost their lives when the Scandinavian Star caught fire off Lysekil, on its way from Oslo to Danish Fredrikshavn, on the night of April 7, 1990.
Several investigations have attempted to map out the cause of the fire, including this investigation, which has also looked at possible motives for insurance fraud. However, the group does not believe that there is evidence of fraud.
Last year, the Maritime Authority rejected claims for compensation from 20 survivors and 11 relatives totaling 14 million Danish kronor.
The claim was made after an investigation in 2022, commissioned by the Danish Ministry of Business, revealed that the Maritime Authority had not carried out the control that is now being called for.
A port state control is an inspection of foreign vessels to ensure that the vessel's safety meets international standards.
The ferry was on its way from Oslo to Danish Fredrikshavn when it caught fire in the Skagerrak off Lysekil on the night of April 7, 1990. 159 people died, most of them Norwegian citizens.
The fire has been investigated several times by Norwegian police. Since the ferry was Danish-owned, the trial took place in Copenhagen.
In 1993, the former CEO of the shipping company, Ole B Hansen, Captain Hugo Larsen, and shipowner Henrik Johansen were sentenced to six months in prison each by the Danish Supreme Court for neglecting safety. Hansen, however, escaped his sentence as he fled to Spain and was not caught in time.
Since then, relatives and others affected have made around 20 attempts to start new legal proceedings against the ferry's owners and insurance companies.
The fire-damaged ferry was towed into Lysekil.
