Sunday, December 28, 2014

Evacuation as ferry with 400+ on board catches fire en route from Greece to Italy

466 passengers and crew are being evacuated from an Italian car ferry that caught fire near a Greek island on Sunday morning. The evacuation is being complicated by strong winds and lack of places in lifeboats, according to the media.
Fire broke out on an Italian Norman Atlantic car ferry traveling from western Greece to eastern Italy at around 6.00 am local time (0400 GMT), coast guard officials said on Sunday.

"The captain has requested the evacuation of the ship, according to initial information," spokesman Nikos Lagkadianos said. 

The international evacuation effort including Italian and Albanian forces is complicated by dangerous weather conditions with strong winds blowing in the area northwest of Corfu.
The ferry has 411 passengers and 55 crew on board, as well as 222 vehicles. An official told Reuters that within the framework of the rescue operation 130 people had already been transferred from a lifeboat to a container ship that had been sailing nearby. 

A Greek TV station got comments of some passengers, who dramatically described the evacuation. 

"They tried to lower some boats, but not all of us could get in. There is no coordination," one said, as cited by Reuters. "It's dark, the bottom of the vessel is on fire. We are on the bridge, we can see a boat approaching... we opened some boxes and got some life vests, we are trying to save ourselves.

Several people reportedly jumped into the water, but it is unclear whether there are any casualties. However, cold winter temperatures will lessen their chances of survival if this is the case..........................http://rt.com/news/218179-ferry-greece-italy-fire/
28/12/14
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8 comments:

  1. Ferry Carrying More Than 450 Catches Fire Off Greece ...

    A ferry carrying 466 people caught fire in gale-force winds off the Greek island of Corfu early Sunday, forcing authorities to order an evacuation.

    The fire broke out on the car deck of the Italian-flagged Norman Atlantic, traveling from the Greek port of Patras to Ancona, Italy with 411 passengers and 55 crew members on board.

    No passengers were reported injured, and the ship was not in immediate danger of sinking, authorities said....................http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/12/28/ferry-fire-greece_n_6386212.html

    ReplyDelete
  2. La Guardia Costera de Grecia evacuó a cerca de 150 personas del ferry 'Norman Atlantic', de bandera italiana que se incendió cerca de las costas de Grecia...

    "En botes salvavidas fueron evacuados de 'Norman Atlantic' cerca de 150 personas", dijo un portavoz de la Guardia Costera.

    En el ferry permanecen aún más de 300 personas.

    Las labores de rescate, en las que participan varias embarcaciones y aparatos aéreos, continúan.
    http://mundo.sputniknews.com/europa/20141228/1032872500.html

    ReplyDelete
  3. Panik auf Adria-Fähre – "Werden verbrennen wie Mäuse" ..

    Flammen auf einer Adria-Fähre mit mehr als 400 Passagieren, ein Sturm erschwert die Evakuierung. Ein geborgener Passagier berichtet über die Hitze an Bord: "Unsere Schuhsohlen begannen zu schmelzen".

    .....Ein Passagier sagte dem Radiosender Skai via Handy, dass die Rettungsboote an Bord nicht ausreichten und das Personal mangelhaft ausgebildet sei. Ein anderer Passagier berichtete, es gebe ein großes Feuer mit starkem Rauch. Das Schiff habe Schlagseite, der Platz für die Überlebenden sei eng. "Die Leute sind verzweifelt und schreien" sagte ein weiterer Zeuge im Fernsehen.

    Laut dem griechischen Verteidigungsminister Nikos Dendias wird die Rettungsaktion von Italien aus koordiniert. Hubschrauber seien auf dem Weg, sie könnten aber nur unterstützen und keine Passagiere aufnehmen.
    http://www.welt.de/vermischtes/weltgeschehen/article135793816/Panik-auf-Adria-Faehre-Werden-verbrennen-wie-Maeuse.html
    28/12/14

    ReplyDelete
  4. A fire on an Italian ferry carrying 466 passengers from Greece has prompted an emergency evacuation in dangerous winds early Sunday, according to Greek authorities, who were asking for help from Italian counterparts...

    The rescue operation was under way, with some of the passengers of the stricken Italian-flagged vessel "Norman Atlantic" being transferred to a ship that responded to its distress signal, the Greek coast guard said. Other vessels were heading to the area.
    http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/118965.aspx

    ReplyDelete
  5. ore 10,30: a 5 ore dall'incidente ancora nessun mezzo della Marina italiana o greca nei paraggi....

    La Norman Atlantic è affiancata da un altro traghetto e sta per essere raggiunta da navi mercantili. La Marina Militare, ridotta a un'associazione di balie asciutte addestrate a cambiar pannolini e distribuire viveri e conforti ai clandestini, dimostra la sua tragica inutilità. Al posto degli ammiragli pagati centinaia di migliaia di euro l'anno, sarebbe opportuno che al comando ci mettessimo le crocerossine e come Capo di Stato Maggiore una suora avventizia della San Vincenzo.................http://www.ilgiornale.it/news/cronache/fiamme-su-traghetto-italiano-bordo-quasi-500-passeggeri-1078954.html

    ReplyDelete
  6. A dramatic rescue operation is under way to rescue 478 people from a burning ferry in gale-force winds off the Greek island of Corfu, Greek officials said on Sunday....

    Vessels close to the stricken ANEK Lines "Norman Atlantic", which caught fire 33 nautical miles off the small Greek island of Othonoi, rushed to give assistance after picking up its distress signal, the Greek coast guard said.

    With high winds gusting up to 100 kilometres (60 miles) per hour and packing torrential rain and sleet, Greek authorities described efforts to rescue the passengers "as particularly difficult and complicated".

    The blaze on board is said to have broken out in the ferry's car deck. Greek television network Mega said there were also tankers holding olive oil on the deck.

    "Our shoes were melting while we were in the reception area," one passenger told the station.

    It was unclear if there had been casualties or if there were any passengers in the water.

    The Greek maritime ministry said 268 of the passengers were Greek, with the crew made up of 22 Italians and 34 Greeks.

    Around 55 passengers were transferred to one Greek ship, while 150 others in a lifeboat were reportedly picked up by another merchant vessel, according to the Italian ANSA news agency....................http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/europe/Rescuers-try-to-evacuate-hundreds-from-burning-Italian-ferry/articleshow/45666835.cms

    ReplyDelete
  7. Traghetto italiano in fiamme al largo di Corfù: problemi a calare le scialuppe: 170 già in salvo ....

    Soccorsi difficili. Le condizioni del tempo sono pessime e rendono difficili i soccorsi. Il traghetto battente bandiera italiana era partito dal porto di Igoumenitsa, della Grecia Nord Occidentale diretta ad Ancona dove era atteso per le 17 di oggi. L'incendio sarebbe scoppiato nel garage. Le operazioni di soccorso sono coordinate dalla Guardia Costiera di Bari. Il traghetto è gestito dall'operatore marchigiano Agenzia Archibugi..............http://www.ilmessaggero.it/primopiano/cronaca/traghetto_incendio_grecia_italiani/notizie/1089334.shtml

    ReplyDelete
  8. Ferry italien en feu: l'opération de sauvetage très compliquée (ministre grec) ...

    L’opération de sauvetage des passagers du ferry italien Norman Atlantic, actuellement en feu près de Corfou, est l'une des plus difficiles de tous les temps, a déclaré dimanche aux journalistes le ministre de la Marine marchande de la Grèce, Miltiadis Varvitsiotis.

    Le ministre, se trouvant au centre des opérations de sauvetage depuis la nuit, a déclaré que 478 personnes, dont des passagers et membres d'équipage, se trouvaient à bord du ferry. 278 parmi eux sont les Grecs.

    Selon le ministre, l'opération se déroule en étroite coopération avec les autorités italiennes. Un bateau-pompe se dirige de la ville de Corfou vers le ferry en feu, les navires de la Marine de la Grèce et de l'Italie font leur route vers la zone de l’incident.

    M.Varvitsiotis a confirmé que 150 passagers étaient sauvés du ferry accidenté à l’aide des radeaux de sauvetage. Les personnes sauvées sont prises par le traversier Spirit of Piraeus. D'autres navires, y compris les cargos, approchent de la zone.

    Répondant à la question de savoir s’il y a des personnes portées disparues, le ministre a déclaré : " Pour le moment, nous n’avons pas d'informations à propos de personnes portées disparues "...................http://fr.ria.ru/world/20141228/203327962.html

    ReplyDelete

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