Greece’s shipping minister resigned as a result of statements he made on television following the death of a passenger who was reportedly pushed off a boat by crew members.

Miltiadis Varvitsiotis stated that his words, in which he appeared to support the ferry’s crew during the event last Tuesday, were “misinterpreted.”

The ship’s captain and three crew members are facing criminal charges in connection with the tragedy in Athens’ Piraeus port.

In Greece, the event has sparked uproar.

A video released on social media shows the 36-year-old passenger, Antonis Kargiotis, sprinting onto the loading ramp of the Blue Horizon ferry as it prepared to leave from Athens to Crete.

Crew members on the ramp appeared to try and physically stop Mr Kargiotis from boarding. The video then shows him seemingly being pushed into the sea.

The ferry left as scheduled – only turning back when the authorities instructed it to return to port. The man’s body was later retrieved from the water.