Plumes of smoke had been nonetheless pouring out of the Italian-flagged Euroferry Olympia, footage on Greek state TV confirmed.A complete of 241 passengers and 51 crew had been on board the when the blaze broke out on Friday, and rescue vessels have already moved most of them to the island of Corfu.
The Greek coastguard stated that 280 individuals had been rescued however twelve individuals had been nonetheless lacking from the 183-meter (600-foot) ferry which caught hearth close to the Corfu island en route from Igoumenitsa, a port in Western Greece, to the Italian port of Brindisi, a nine-hour journey.
The lacking passengers had been from Bulgaria, Greece, Turkey and Lithuania, the Greek coastguard stated.
“The hearth continues to be burning and firefighting vessels have been making an attempt to place it out,” Shipping Minister Giannis Plakiotakis instructed Skai tv on Saturday.
Aerial footage launched by the Greek coastguard on Friday confirmed rows of burnt vehicles on the blackened deck after flames swept by the ship, owned by Grimaldi Lines.
Late on Friday, Greek crews rescued two individuals, a Bulgarian and an Afghan citizen, who was not on the official checklist of lacking individuals. They had been taken to the hospital of Corfu, the corporate stated in an announcement.
Bulgaria’s international ministry stated 127 of its residents had been on board.
Most of these rescued at the moment are being accommodated in inns on Corfu.
“I’ve been coming and going for therefore a few years, I’ve by no means skilled such a scenario earlier than,” 50-year-old Greek truck driver, Giorgos Parlatzas, who was evacuated from the ship, stated from a Corfu resort.
The ferry was carrying 153 automobiles, Grimaldi Lines stated.
The reason behind the blaze is being investigated and authorities could have extra proof as soon as the ship is tugged to a secure place, Plakiotakis stated.