Ferry on fire in the med, people trapped on board

[Thanas]

Ships and helicopters are taking part in a major rescue operation after a Greek ferry carrying 478 people caught fire around 40 nautical miles north-west of Corfu.

The Norman Atlantic was travelling from Patras in Greece to Ancona in Italy.

Choppy seas and strong winds are hampering the rescue. Early reports that it was tilting have been denied.

There are no reports of casualties. Some 111 people have been rescued, the Italian Navy says.

Italian media say the fire broke out on the ferry's car deck early on Sunday morning.

Around 35 passengers were transferred to a nearby Greek ferry by lifeboat, Merchant Marine Minister Miltiadis Varvitsiotis said.

"This is a complicated rescue mission... The visibility is poor and the weather conditions are difficult, but we are confident because there are a good number of ships in the area," he said.

Italian and Albanian teams are also taking part in the rescue operation.

One of the passengers told Greek TV station Mega: "Our shoes started being submerged as we were in the reception area. We are burning and sinking with no-one able to rescue us. Please help us, do not leave us alone."

Over 300 people still trapped on board.

[Broomstick]

Good lord, it's quite a day for disasters, isn't it? I hope they can get everyone off the ferry.

[Edi]

Yeah, looks like a flurry of shit to close out 2014. I hope this trend doesn't continue to the beginning of 2015...

[Thanas]

Update: One confirmed death so far. Ship steering has failed. German Video here.

Not a good day for shipping in the Adriatic so far - harbour collision in Ravenna claims at least one ship sunk, 2 dead, 4 missing.

[Thanas]

Update: The fires are now under control and doctors have been brought onboard. Still no rescue, but unless the ship suddenly sinks it is very unlikely any more people will die from this.

[Enigma]

I've been reading it but they say it is an Italian ferry and that there's at least 10 dead.

[Thanas]

I've been reading it but they say it is an Italian ferry and that there's at least 10 dead.

They are wrong, it is Greek. 12 dead confirmed so far (2 seamen who had an accident on one of the rescue ships and 10 of the ferry) and unknown number of missing. Nobody really knew how many people were on board apparently.

[Mange]

I've been reading it but they say it is an Italian ferry and that there's at least 10 dead.

They are wrong, it is Greek. 12 dead confirmed so far (2 seamen who had an accident on one of the rescue ships and 10 of the ferry) and unknown number of missing. Nobody really knew how many people were on board apparently.

No, it's Italian. The Norman Atlantic is owned by Visemar di Navigazione (seated in Bari, Italy) with an Italian crew (it was chartered to a Greek company though).

[The Duchess of Zeon]

At least in the US if the route is short enough or close enough to land the lifesaving manifest does not need to be completed in the way it does for an international sailing -- Washington State Ferries doesn't have them but the Black Ball Line's international run in the Strait of Juan de Fuca does. I wonder if the crossing of the Strait of Otranto on that route remains sufficiently close to land that isn't necessary to complete the manifest card on boarding as a passenger.

[Thanas]

At least in the US if the route is short enough or close enough to land the lifesaving manifest does not need to be completed in the way it does for an international sailing -- Washington State Ferries doesn't have them but the Black Ball Line's international run in the Strait of Juan de Fuca does. I wonder if the crossing of the Strait of Otranto on that route remains sufficiently close to land that isn't necessary to complete the manifest card on boarding as a passenger.

Considering the record of it as being one of the deadliest wreckers there are, I very much doubt they would be so unprofessional as to do that.


________________
A sad new update: At least 98 persons are still missing.