83 passengers remain on board a ship in distress which keeps drifting to Albania’s coast.
Italian naval helicopters are making non-stop shuttle flights between the ferry and San Giorgio-class amphibious assault ship evacuating passengers. It is a matter of minutes in the salvation of people, as the ferry is developing a larger list and the smoke is filling all compartments.
New evidence is available about at least one more victim of the sea disaster, but local authorities did not confirm it officially yet.
The fire broke out on board ferry Norman Atlantic on Sunday morning, when the ship was sailing 40 nautical miles west of Greek island Corfu. The storm and squally winds made it impossible to take passengers and crewmembers off the ferry. They had to pass the last night on upper decks in cold weather.
Eight Italian helicopters and a Greek machine Super Puma are involved in the rescue. Two military transport jets C-130 which may join the rescue operation if the weather improves are on standby. The ferry losing a steering control is drifting about ten miles off Albania’s coast, civilian towboats and San Giorgio-class amphibious warfare ship with helicopters are convoying the ferry in its drifting.
[itar-tass.com]
29/12/14
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- 2: 15 / BREAKING Update Norman Atlantic rescue: already rescued 419 people, including 5 dead bodies, one yesterday and 4 today
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Italy ferry: All passengers evacuated after fatal fire ...
ReplyDeleteAll remaining passengers have been taken off the ferry Norman Atlantic, which caught fire off the island of Corfu, Italian officials say.
Five people died in the incident. One man was killed when trying to escape the ship, and a further four bodies have been recovered from the sea.
More than 400 people were rescued, in a long and complex operation amid gale-force winds and thick smoke.
The Italian navy said the captain and four officials were still on the ship.
It is unclear what caused the fire to break out on Sunday on the car deck of the ferry, which was carrying 478 people from the Greek city of Patras to Ancona in Italy............http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-30624086
29/12/14