According to the Greek Coast Guard, 278 passengers were rescued in the morning and their personal details were compared with the passenger and crew lists. Accordingly, at least eleven people were missing. There was contact with two other passengers inside the ferry. However, they could not be freed yet because the flames continued to rage. A corresponding deployment of rescue workers was expected for the late afternoon.
Meanwhile, three fire-fighting tugs fought against the smoke and flames, more fire-fighting ships were expected. The Greek and Italian coast guards also supported the rescue work.
The ship is said to be stable and has not lost any fuel so far, Italian news agency Ansa reported, citing the ferry company Grimaldi Group, which owns the Grimaldi Lines brand, which in turn operates the Euroferry Olympia ferry. The relatively calm weather that prevailed in the region on Friday helped the rescue workers.
It’s unclear if there were stowaways on the ship – the route from western Greece to Italy has been used for years by migrants hiding in and under trucks to get to central and northern Europe via Italy. The accident brings back memories of the Norman Atlantic ferry that crashed in 2014. At that time, at least 14 people died in a fire on board, dozens were never found.