16:34
- Corfu: The rescued passengers from the “Euroferry Olympia” were taken to hotels”
The rescued passengers from the Euroferry Olympia passenger-car ferry were transported to four hotels in Corfu, after their identification was completed in a special waiting room at the Corfu Port Authority. Meanwhile, information from the Corfu Port Authority indicates that another 14 people are missing.
Six people were transported by ambulance, as a precaution, to the General Hospital of Corfu, one of whom tested positive for the coronavirus following a test conducted by a team from the National Public Health Organization (EODY). Among those rescued were seven children.
According to initial statements from the Greek passengers, the fire reportedly broke out on the third deck, where trucks and passenger cars were parked.
15:56
- Ministry of Shipping: There are officially 11 people missing, three of whom are Greek
15:43
- The Coast Guard video is a good example of what's happening on the ship
15:26
- The Fire Department's efforts captured on video
15:22
- Firefighters on the scene
15:19
- Breaking News: EMAK rescue workers are assisting with the rescue operation on the burning ship
15:02
- What the Grimaldi Group Says
The Grimaldi Group reports that a fire broke out last night on the ro-pax vessel Euroferry Olympia while it was 10 miles north of the island of Corfu. At 4:12 p.m. (local time), the ship’s captain contacted the company’s headquarters and informed us that a fire had broken out on Deck 3. The crew immediately rushed to extinguish the fire using the ship’s equipment.
Meanwhile, the captain and the chief officer, through the «emergency response team,» notified the relevant Italian and Greek authorities of the incident and took all necessary measures to handle the accident in the best possible way.
For the safety of the passengers, the captain decided that everyone must abandon ship. According to initial reports, the passengers were rescued by a vessel from the Italian Financial Police and a vessel from the Greek Coast Guard that were in the area. Both vessels headed to the port of Corfu, where the company provided assistance to those rescued.
There were 239 passengers on board the ship, of various nationalities, including 51 Greek and Italian crew members. In addition, the ship was carrying 153 commercial vehicles (trucks and trailers) as well as 32 drivers.
No oil spill has been detected at sea, nor does the ship’s stability appear to be compromised. Tugs have been dispatched to the Euroferry Olympia to provide assistance and coordinate the emergency response.
The ship (built in 1995) flies the Italian flag and is operated by Grimaldi Group’s Grimaldi Euromed S.p.A. on the Brindisi–Igoumenitsa route. It departed from the port of Igoumenitsa at 1:20 a.m. (local time) last night and was scheduled to arrive in Brindisi this morning at 9:00 a.m.
The company's senior management expresses its regret over the accident and will cooperate fully with the relevant authorities to shed full light on the circumstances under which it occurred.
14:59
- The counting and identification process has been completed
The operation to identify and count the passengers and crew of the passenger-car ferry “Euroferry Olympia” has been completed.
So far, 277 people have been identified.
14:50
- Information on the number of missing persons is unclear
Sources at the Ministry of Maritime Affairs are reporting that 12 people are missing, according to ERT, while earlier reports had put the number at 14.
As clarified, the 14 include the two who are trapped, and the operation to rescue them is currently underway.
According to the same sources, three or four Greeks are among the missing.
A total of 276 people have been rescued, including one migrant who was not on the passenger list.
14:44
- Aerial views of the burning ship
14:42
- Where is the Euroferry Olympia?
14:39
- 10 have been taken to the hospital in Corfu
Most of them have respiratory problems. Based on what is known so far, their health condition is not a cause for concern.
14:28
- The nationalities of the 14 missing persons
According to the ERT correspondent in Corfu, the group consists of 3 Greeks, 9 Bulgarians, one Turk, and one Lithuanian.
14:25
- The rescue operation for the two trapped people continues
The two people still on board the burning ship are being instructed to go out on deck so they can be rescued by a Super Puma helicopter.
The two drivers, both Bulgarian nationals, were trapped in the garage, and one of them contacted the authorities.
