Greece
Fire broke out on ferry with nearly 300 people
After the fire on a ferry, all passengers were rescued. The exact reason for the fire is still unclear.
© Eurokinissi/Eurokinissi via ZUMA Press Wire / DPA
A fire broke out on a ferry with almost 300 people on board off the island of Corfu in Greece in the morning. Several ships from the region were brought in to rescue the passengers.
A fire broke out on a car ferry near the Greek island of Corfu on Friday morning. According to Greek media reports, there were around 240 passengers and 50 crew members on the ship.
Greece: Fire on ferry with almost 300 passengers
242 people have already been evacuated by the Greek and Italian coast guards and are to be taken to Corfu, the Greek news agency ANA reported. Three helicopters were also used. A passenger was transported directly to Corfu with breathing problems.
Good weather made the rescue easier
Other ships from the area were also involved in the rescue. The affected ferry was on its way from the Greek port of Igoumenitsa to Brindisi in Italy; it is said to be the “Euroferry Olympia” of the Italian Grimaldi Lines.
The weather in the region was good on Friday morning, there was hardly any wind, so that the rescue work was not made more difficult, it was said on Friday morning. It is believed that the fire broke out in the garage in the hull of the ferry. Pictures and videos showed high flames and a huge plume of smoke over the ship.