Twelve missing after the fire of a “faulty” ferry near Corfu | Abroad

The emergency services are not yet able to board because of the fire. Helicopters and various vessels are combing the area, and a fire extinguisher and several tugs have also been deployed. The Dutch rescue company Boskalis sent twelve experts to Greece to help.

The ship’s captain and two crew members were arrested, according to Greek media, but released after questioning. Authorities are investigating. The ship could also have a fuel leak, the Italian coast guard said. The ferry is believed to be carrying around 800 cubic meters of fuel and a further 23 tonnes of “dangerous corrosive goods”, Italy’s environment ministry reported.

The 183-meter-long vessel caught fire while en route from Greece to Italy. There were officially 239 passengers and 51 crew on board. Several ships have been deployed to bring the passengers of the Euroferry Olympia to safety.

All of the missing are truckers, according to the Coast Guard. Seven of them come from Bulgaria, three from Greece and the others from Turkey and Lithuania. A number of rescued truckers told Greek media that some drivers preferred to sleep in their trucks because the dormitories on board were overcrowded.

The cause of the fire is not yet known. Presumably it started in the hull of the ferry. Owner Grimaldi Lines reports that the crew tried unsuccessfully to extinguish the fire. According to one of the rescued passengers, it took four hours before they were rescued.

According to Greek newspaper Kathimerini, a Greek trade union warned the maritime ministry in 2017 about poor conditions on the ferry. For example, the air conditioning in the dorms didn’t work and there were too few places to sleep. According to the union, the ventilation of the Olympia garage was also down.

The 27-year-old ferry’s last security check took place on February 16, Grimaldi Lines said. The truckers’ union also complained about the condition of another company ferry, the Egnazia.