(Bloomberg) — Seven people died after a fire broke out on an Italian ferry traveling from Greece to Italy and more than 400 people were rescued in small groups last night and today amid rough seas and high winds.
The captain of the Norman Atlantic was the last to leave the ship as rescue operations were concluded around 2:50 p.m. today local time, the Italian Coast Guard said in a Twitter post.
An Italian-led operation put out the fire that broke out yesterday and also docked a tugboat to the ferry to help stabilize the vessel that departed from the Greek port of Patras en route to Ancona, Italy, with 422 passengers and 56 crew members. The Italian Navy's Twitter account showed images of rescue helicopters taking off in harsh weather, which allowed for rescues of only a few people at a time.
Greek Shipping Minister Miltiadis Varvitsiotis said at a news conference last night that one of the victims died while trying to flee the ferry. The Italian Coast Guard said most of the rescued passengers were transferred to cargo ships in the area and that others were taken to Italy.
The Italian Navy and Coast Guard are coordinating the rescue effort in the strait between Italy and Albania. The blaze broke out about 4 a.m. on Sunday in the Italian-flagged ferry's car-parking area. Italian television stations showed smoke billowing from the vessel with many passengers standing on deck.
Difficult Task
The next step will be to tow the ferry to safety, a difficult task due to high seas and strong winds which can break the cables used to tug the vessel, Prime Minister Matteo Renzi said today during a press conference in Rome. Maritime salvage operator Boskalis Westminster NV said it has sent 15 employees and 12 tons of material and pumps.
"We're awaiting instructions by the Italian navy to approach the ship," Boskalis spokesman Martijn Schuttevaer said by phone. "We expect to board the ship either later today or tomorrow morning at daylight."
–With assistance from Elco van Groningen in Amsterdam.
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