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Up to 98 passengers still missing following ferry fire, say Italians
It is still not known how many passengers are missing following a fire on a passenger ferry in the Adriatic sea.
According to the Italian prosecutor’s office as many as 98 passengers might still be unaccounted for, however Greek officicials say only 18 people are still missing.
At least 11 passengers are known to have died and two Albanian seamen were killed during the rescue mission of the Norman Atlantic.
The men were on a tugboat towing the car ferry and were hit by a connecting cable between the vessels.
The rescue operation continues today amid confusion over how many people are unaccounted for.
As the death toll of those who were on board reached 10, Italian officials admitted they cannot be certain how many passengers could still be missing.
According to the manifests, the boat was carrying 478 passengers and crew. Latest reports say 427 people have been pulled to safety, which would leave 41 unaccounted for.
However, some of those already rescued were not on the list, leading to concerns that some illegal migrants could have been on board.
Officials said it was impossible to give a definitive figure because of errors on the passenger list, no-shows or people possibly getting off at the Greek port of Igoumenitsa.
Survivors have described ‘scenes from hell’ with passengers trampling over each other and hitting each other in the panic to get off the ship.
Captain Argilio Giacomazzi has been praised for staying on board to see the evacuation through.
The Foreign Office confirmed that four Britons have been saved, including show-jumper Nicholas Channing-Williams and his fiance Regina Theofilli.
It is still not known what caused the fire, which broke out on the car deck while the ship was about 44 nautical miles north of Corfu.
The fire interfered with the ship’s navigation system, causing it to drift towards the Albanian coast.
Rescue efforts were hampered by freezing cold rain, gale force winds and huge waves.
A criminal investigation has been opened.
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
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