bad luck
Fire on car ferry near Corfu
Greek flag in the smoke of a fire: did the fire start in the garage in the hull of the ferry? Photo: Petros Karadjias/AP/dpa/Symbolbild
© dpa-infocom GmbH
The “Euroferry Olympia” with almost 300 people on board was on its way to Italy. Suddenly, fire breaks out on the ship.
A fire broke out on a car ferry near the Greek island of Corfu this morning. According to Greek media reports, there were around 240 passengers and 50 crew members on the ship.
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 in action. A passenger was transported directly to Corfu with breathing problems.
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 should be the “Euroferry Olympia” of the Italian Grimaldi Lines.
The weather in the region was good tomorrow, there was hardly any wind, so that the rescue work was not made more difficult, it was said. 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.
