Sunday, December 28, 2014

5 CONFIRMED DEAD SO FAR. AIRLIFT UNDER WAY FOR HUNDREDS TRAPPED ON BURNING VEHICLE FERRY OFF IONIAN SEA OF GREECE. THIS WAS AN ITALIAN FLAGGED, GREEK-CHARTERED BOAT.



Airlift under way for hundreds trapped on burning VEHICLE ferry off IONIAN SEA OF Greece.  THIS WAS AN ITALIAN FLAGGED, GREEK-CHARTERED BOAT.


(CNN) -- [Breaking news update 6:12 a.m. ET ]
Four more people have died from the ferry fire, Greek Merchant Marine Minister Miltiades Varvitsiotis said Monday. This brings the overall death toll to five since the fire broke out Sunday.


[Full story]
Hundreds of passengers have endured a freezing night on a stricken ferry, more than 24 hours after a fire broke out on the vessel en route to Italy in the Adriatic Sea.
Smaller helicopters with night vision equipment worked through the night to pull passengers off the ferry, one by one, but the pace is expected to pick up with daylight Monday as larger helicopters rejoin the mission.
On Monday morning, the Italian Navy announced that more than 300 people had been rescued from the Norman Atlantic, which was traveling between the Greek port of Igoumenitsa and the Italian port of Ancona when fire broke out deep in the parking bay.
The Norman Atlantic was traveling between Igoumenitsa, Greece and Ancona, Italy when it caught fire.The Norman Atlantic was traveling between Igoumenitsa, Greece and Ancona, Italy when it caught fire.

Authorities said more than 100 remained on board.
An Italian Navy medical team boarded the ship Monday to aid passengers, some of whom were suffering hypothermia and smoke inhalation, the Italy Navy said. The already cold conditions were worsened by the spray of tugboat hoses as authorities attempted to douse the flames.

After waiting hours in rough conditions, one Greek man told Italian state broadcaster RAI TV that passengers were "dying of cold and suffocating from the smoke," and that their feet were "burning" from the heat of the flames.
Ferry catches fire between Greece, Italy Ferry catches fire between Greece, Italy
Burning ferry passengers arrive in Italy
First images from inside burning ferry
Hundreds aboard ferry burning in Adriatic
One man died after he jumped or fell into the cold water, authorities said. Four others were also killed, but authorities did not say how they died.
Dramatic cell phone images filmed by a passenger showed flames through shattered portholes, while a wider view released by rescuers showed a huge plume of thick, black smoke streaming from the stricken vessel.
Lifeboats 'stopped working'
In the first three hours of the blaze, around 150 people were able to escape via the vessel's lifeboats. But when the ferry lost power, the electronic arms were unable to function, leaving the boats dangling uselessly by its side.
Rescue efforts were hampered by strong winds, choppy seas and thick smoke, which prevented other boats from getting close enough to the vessel to get people off.
Many passengers were also unable to reach the lower decks because of the heat, and the water below was so cold that jumping clear of the ferry was not an option.
Passengers able to escape the ferry told Greek and Italian newsgroups they felt like "prisoners on a burning ship."
Conditions weren't expected to improve on Monday, according to CNN meterologist Tom Sater. He said while the storm system was moving away, another was forming to the south that would sweep cold air through the rescue area. "Stronger winds from a storm system moving across the south could case problems for the next 24 to 48 hours," he said.
Sea surface temperatures were currently around 14 to 15 degrees Celsius (57 to 59 degrees Fahrenheit), he said, limiting the survival time if anyone should fall in to up to six hours.


Survivors taken to port
The Italian Navy said medical personnel were lowered onto the vessel early Monday, amid reports some passengers were suffering from smoke inhalation and hypothermia.
Hours earlier, a tugboat was attached to the ferry in an effort to hold it steady while helicopter pilots worked to shuttle passengers onto nearby merchant vessels.
A freighter carrying 49 rescued passengers was expected to arrive in Brindisi, Italy, near the port of Bari, the Italian Coast Guard said Monday. Passengers needing medical attention would be taken to nearby hospitals.

Fire spread quickly
It's not known how the fire started, but it's believed to have originated in the parking bay. At least one truck driver told the Greek news media that trucks filled with oil were "packed like sardines," their cargo scraping the ceiling, which could have set off sparks in rough seas to start a fire, he surmised.

Greek authorities said the vessel's fire doors appeared to have failed which allowed the flames to spread quickly.

The disaster made national headlines in Greece, Italy and other countries with citizens aboard the ferry. In a Sunday morning public address, Pope Francis offered "affection and prayers" to those affected by the Norman Atlantic ferry fire as well as a collision in the Adriatic Sea between two merchant ships.

Thick clouds of smoke enveloped the vessel earlier Sunday as rescuers awaited an opportunity to approach. At least eight ships were deployed, but heavy winds and freezing waters kept them at bay, making evacuation by air the only feasible option.
Turkish diplomatic personnel are heading to Igoumenitsa, the likely port for evacuated passengers, according to a Turkish Foreign Ministry statement released Sunday. Turkish citizens were among the passengers, with Greeks and Italians making up the majority.


By Renee Maltezou



ATHENS Sun Dec 28, 2014 12:31pm EST 


 (Reuters) - Italian and Greek helicopter crews prepared to work through the night to airlift passengers in pairs off a burning ferry adrift in the Adriatic Sea, battling darkness and bad weather that hampered rescue efforts by other ships throughout Sunday.


Helicopters were plucking passengers off the Italian-flagged Norman Atlantic and transferring them to a nearby vessel, after a dramatic day that began when a fire broke out on its lower deck in the early hours.

A Greek government official said one man had died but there were no other confirmed reports of casualties among almost 500 passengers and crew and as night fell, Greek authorities said 156 people were clear of the danger zone.

An official said 150 people had managed to get off the ship aboard a rescue boat earlier in the day.



After it drifted in fierce winds into Albanian waters, a tugboat was hoping to tow the ferry into Albania's main port of Durres, with another tug helping for part of the journey, Luan Kore, an official from another Albanian port said.


"We are making superhuman efforts in this extremely difficult operation," Greek coastguard spokesman Nikos Lagkadianos said. "Operations by air will continue throughout the night," he said.


A Greek Defence Ministry official said two Italian and two Greek Super Puma helicopters had been deployed, with each air transfer taking around 15 minutes as the pairs of passengers are bundled into a rescue basket and winched up from the vessel.

Earlier, Lagkadianos said the heavy rain that was hampering the rescue had helped contain the fire although the ship was still burning.

Terrified passengers told how they had to move higher and higher in the ship to escape the flames.

"We went to the deck where there were life boats, but at some point we felt the floor burning and we went higher up to the heliport," Rania Fireou told Greek television by phone before the airlifts began.

"There are many children and elderly people aboard," she said. "We have gathered all together and we are trying to warm ourselves."



COMPLICATED RESCUE

Greek Shipping Minister Miltiadis Varvitsiotis said the bad weather, with winds of up to 55 miles (88 km) per hour earlier, made the operation extremely difficult.

"We are doing everything we can to save those on board and no one, no one will be left helpless in this tough situation," he told reporters. "It is one of the most complicated rescue operations that we have ever done."

Coastguard officials said the Norman Atlantic, which was also carrying more than 200 vehicles, was 44 nautical miles northwest of the island of Corfu when it radioed for help. It had been travelling from Patras in western Greece to the Italian city of Ancona.

Command of the operation was transferred to Italy after winds took the helpless vessel out of Greek waters but officials were coordinating closely and an Albanian coastguard vessel was also taking part.


A coastguard official said nearby passenger and container ships had attempted to form a ring around the burning vessel to try to form a windbreak to allow small rescue boats to approach.

Officials said there were 478 passengers and crew on the Norman Atlantic, of whom 268 were Greek, while a foreign ministry official said there were also passengers from countries including Germany, Italy, Austria, Turkey, France and the Netherlands. Many appeared to be truck drivers.



The fire broke out in the lower deck garage of the vessel but there were differing accounts of when it started. Initial reports said the fire began at around 6.00 a.m. (11 p.m. ET) but Italian officials put the time at 4.30 a.m.

The Norman Atlantic is a 26,900-tonne, roll-on roll-off ferry chartered by Greek ferry company ANEK. According to marine traffic data, it was built in 2009 and previously operated in Italy. ANEK said in a statement it was cooperating with rescue authorities.


_______________________________________________________



One passenger dead and another injured as hundreds of terrified travellers are trapped on blazing ferry off coast of Corfu with gale-force winds hampering rescue efforts


Ferry carrying 423 passengers and 55 crew caught alight off Greek island
One person confirmed dead and another injured during attempts to escape 
Evacuation of Norman Atlantic ferry has been ongoing for hours off Corfu
Passengers still trapped on ship with rescue efforts hampered by weather
Two of those on board are British nationals and have made contact to UK  
Vessel had been travelling from Greek port of Patras to Ancona in Italy
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One passenger has reportedly died and another injured while attempting to escape a blazing ferry stranded off the Greek island of Corfu.

Giovanni Pettorino, an Italian coastguard official, said one person had died while being rescued from the Italian-flagged Norman Atlantic, which caught alight as it travelled from the Greek port of Patras to Ancona in Italy.

Authorities confirmed there were 423 passengers and 55 crew members on board and said more than half of them remain trapped on the ferry as the rescue operation is being hampered by choppy seas and bad weather.
Greek and Italian rescue helicopters and vessels are struggling to reach the stricken ferry, which is being pushed towards the Albanian coast by winds in excess of 55 miles per hour.

One person has died and another injured while attempting to escape a blazing ferry stranded off the Greek island of Corfu. The Italian-flagged Norman Atlantic caught alight as it travelled from Greece to Ancona in Italy



Passengers remain trapped on the blazing ferry, off the coast of Corfu, as gale-force winds and choppy seas hamper the rescue effort. The vessel caught alight at 6am local time with 478 passengers and crew on board 


Greek and Italian rescue helicopters and vessels are struggling to reach the stricken passenger ferry (pictured), which is being pushed towards the Albanian coast by winds in excess of 55 miles per hour

The fire broke out on the lower car deck of the passenger ferry, which was also carrying 222 vehicles, just before 6am local time (4am GMT).
Some passengers have reportedly been stranded on an upper deck of the ferry for more than eight hours, as they are unable to be lowered to lifeboats due to the high seas.



Some passengers have reportedly been stranded on an upper deck of the stricken ferry for more than eight hours, as they are unable to be lowered to lifeboats or rescued due to the high seas and rough conditions
John Kittmer, British Ambassador to Greece, confirmed on Twitter that two British nationals were on board the vessel.
He said: 'We understand from the passenger manifest that two British nationals are believed to be on board.
'We are in close contact with the Greek authorities and are urgently seeking more information.

'We understand that the Greek authorities are working with the Italians, who are leading the rescue effort.'  
Several explosions have been heard from the lower deck of the ferry and there have been reports of rescue workers crying as they try to free those on board. 

Authorities confirmed this afternoon that 149 people have so far been transported to safety - eight airlifted to southern Italy and the rest taken to nearby ships.
Greek Merchant Marine spokesman Nikos Lagadianos said a lifeboat carrying about 150 passengers had been lowered into the water, and Italian rescue workers were in the process of transporting passengers from it by helicopter - two at a time - to the nearby Cruise Europa ship.

Two tugboats are working to try to extinguish the fire, he said.
Vassiliki Tavrizelou, who was rescued along with her two-year-old daughter, spoke to the media from her hospital bed in Lecce, southern Italy. 
She told Associated Press via a telephone interview: 'They called first on women and children to be evacuated from the ship.
'Ships could not approach us because of the rain and winds. We were at least four hours on the deck, in the cold and rain.'
She recalled the ship alarm going off and seeing fire from her cabin. 'Then we heard explosions,' she said. 

It was not immediately clear what the explosions were, and the cause of the fire has yet to be determined. 



A liferaft from the stricken ferry in the Adriatic Sea. Authorities said 117 people have been rescued so far



The fire broke out on the lower car deck of the Italian-flagged Norman Atlantic ferry, which was travelling from the Greek port of Patras to Ancona in Italy and carrying 423 passengers, 55 crew members and 222 vehicles

Passenger Giorgos Stiliaras told Greek Mega TV that passengers were having trouble breathing due to the thick smoke. 
'We are outside, we are very cold, the ship is full of smoke,' he said by telephone. 'The boat is still burning, the floors are boiling.' 

He recalled 'the smell of burning plastic' waking people up.
The ferry, which is run by a Greek firm, was packed with holidaymakers and truck drivers making the popular transport run between Greece and Italy.
Of those on board, 234 passengers and 34 crew are Greek. Other passengers are from Turkey, Albania, Italy, Britain and several other countries, including Germany, Switzerland, Belgium and France. Many of the crew included Italians.
Earlier today, several passengers stranded on the ship contacted local media stations in a desperate cry for help. 

Sofoklis Styliaras, a Greek passenger still on board the flaming vessel, told Mega television: 'The fire is still burning. On the lower deck, where the lifeboats are, our shoes were starting to melt from the heat.
'There's nowhere else for us to go. It's impossible to walk on the lower deck because of the heat.'
Another passenger told Greek TV: 'They tried to lower some boats, but not all of us could get in.
'There is no coordination. It's dark, the bottom of the vessel is on fire.
'We are on the bridge, we can see a boat approaching... we opened some boxes and got some life vests, we are trying to save ourselves.' 
Another, quoted by The Daily, appealed for help saying: 'We urgently need help. We cannot leave the ship. There are boats but we are trapped.'
Greek shipping minister on the burning ferry rescue mission



Miltiadis Varvitsiotis, merchant marine minister, said the rescue operation had been made increasingly difficult by extremely poor weather conditions. He said gale-force winds and choppy seas were hampering rescuers



Several explosions have been heard on the Norman Atlantic (pictured on a different voyage). Greek and Italian authorities have sent several helicopters to help with the evacuation and rescue operation following the blaze

Miltiadis Varvitsiotis, merchant marine minister, said the rescue operation had been made increasingly difficult by extremely poor weather conditions.

'This is a very difficult, a very complex rescue operation,' he said. 'The visibility is poor and the weather conditions are difficult.

'We are in constant contact with Italian authorities and the Greek armed forces. We are committed to rescuing everyone on the ship, and are trying to ensure that nobody will be left unaided.'

The ship is not thought to be in any immediate danger of sinking, authorities said.
This is a very difficult, a very complex rescue operation. We are committed to rescuing everyone on the ship, and are trying to ensure that nobody will be left unaided
Miltiadis Varvitsiotis, merchant marine minister

It is currently about 42 nautical miles (48 miles, 78 kilometres) northwest of Corfu, close to the Albanian city of Vlora, but continues to drift towards Italian waters.
Greek government officials said Prime Minister Antonis Samaras was in contact with his Italian counterpart, Matteo Renzi, to coordinate the operation 'at the highest level'. 
Marco Di Milla, Italian coastguard spokesman, said the rescue operation was likely to last for hours. 


He said it would be up to the Greeks, in command of rescue operations, to decide where the rescued passengers and crew would be taken. 
Greek authorities have sent five helicopters and a military transport plane to the area to assist in the operation. 
Italy has also sent resources to help with the rescue effort, including a coastguard boat, an Italian Navy helicopter and an Air Force aircraft.
At least eight merchant ships, which were in the area at the time of the fire breaking out, have also joined the rescue effort and are being used to form a barrier against winds of up to 55 miles per hour.