A prosecutor on the Greek Aegean island of Naxos on Saturday launched legal proceedings against the captain of the ill-fated Greek cruise ship Sea Diamond, which sank off near the island of Santorini at dawn on Friday after striking a reef on the previous afternoon.

According to Athens News Agency, prosecution concerns causing a shipwreck through negligence, causing pollution to the sea through negligence and failing to apply international regulations on avoiding collisions.

The prosecutor will also refer the captain to an investigator as a result of the two French nationals who have been reported missing, a 45-year-old man and his 16-year-old daughter.

All the remaining senior officers of the ship who had been brought before the prosecutor have been released.

The Santorini Port Authorities were carrying out a preliminary examination on Friday, while the captain, the Second Mate, the helmsman, the first officer and four crew-members were giving their statements to shed light on the causes of the accident.

In his statement, the captain said that he was overconfident when the ship was entering the port, adding that he overestimated the capabilities of the ship when it approached the reef buoy.

However, he said that up to the last moment he tried to avoid the collision but in vain. This was his maiden voyage as captain with the Sea Diamond.