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Norman Atlantic ferry fire: One killed and hundreds still trapped as passengers are airlifted from burning Greece-Italy boat Norman Atlantic ferry fire: One killed and hundreds still trapped as passengers are airlifted from burning Greece-Italy boat
(about 1 hour later)
Hundreds of people remain trapped after a ferry caught fire on route from Greece to Italy, sparking an international rescue mission in challenging rough sea conditions. Hundreds of people remain trapped on board a burning passenger ferry off the Greek island of Corfu, with rescuers frantically struggling to reach the vessel amid gale force winds and lashing rain.
Officials said one person has died and at least one other is injured, as high winds and choppy waters leave rescue vessels and aircraft struggling to get close enough to help. Two Britons were among the 422 passengers and 56 crew members on board the Norman Atlantic, travelling from Patras in Greece to Ancona in Italy. A fire broke out on the car deck shortly after the ferry left the port of Igoumenitsa on Sunday morning, spreading rapidly through the ship.
Around 130 of the almost 480 people on board had been evacuated, the majority when a lifeboat was successfully lowered from the stricken vessel, but an operation to airlift the remaining passengers to safety - two at a time - could take hours. At least one person was killed trying to escape from the blazing ship, with another seriously injured, the Italian Coast Guard said. Greek authorities said 161 people had so far been transported to safety, but rescue efforts were being hampered by 55mph winds.
Those still on board - thought to include two British nationals - have made desperate pleas for assistance. Nick Channing-Williams, 37, is understood to be one of the Britons on board. His mother Dotty said he was taking a trip with his 33-year-old Greek fiancee Regina Theoffili. She said she had spoken to him over the phone after the fire broke out, but had since lost contact.
“We are burning and sinking, no one can save us,” Nikos Papatheodosiou told Greek TV by telephone. “Please help us! Don't leave us,” he added before hanging up. An image from vesselfinder.com showing the location of the Norman Atalntic off the coast of Italy's 'heel' (left)
An image from vesselfinder.com showing the location of the Norman Atalntic off the coast of Italy's 'heel' (left) The Norman Atlantic car ferry was just over 40 miles northwest of Corfu when it sent out a distress signal to the Greek coast guard. “People in Greece are saying that their communications have been cut off, so as not to hamper rescue operations which I can fully understand,” she told Sky News. “It is very, very worrying and very scary.” When she spoke to her son he had been awaiting rescue on the ferry’s top deck for seven hours “in the rain and thunder and lightning”, she added.
The fire broke out in the lower deck garage of the vessel, Italian officials have said, at around 4.30am local time (2.30am GMT). Mrs Channing-Williams said her son, a competitive show jumper, had initially delayed calling her because he did not want her to worry. “He said, ‘I’m afraid I don’t have a car any more, and I don’t have your iPad any more.’ I said don’t worry about that, are you going to be able to get off that ferry? And he said ‘Mum, I don’t know’.”
he ferry carrying hundreds of passengers caught fire off the Greek island of Corfu early on Sunday British woman Dotty Channing-Williams said her son Nicholas was aboard the Norman Atlantic with his fiancee Regina, and that she had spoken to him by telephone since the fire broke out, but that she had since lost contact with him. he ferry carrying hundreds of passengers caught fire off the Greek island of Corfu early on Sunday
"People in Greece are saying that their communications have been cut off, so as not to hamper rescue operations which I can fully understand," she told Sky News. John Kittmer, the British Ambassador to Greece, confirmed that two Britons were on board. “We are in close contact with the Greek authorities and are urgently seeking more information,” he wrote on Twitter. “We understand that the Greek authorities are working with the Italians, who are leading the rescue effort.”
"They're keeping me updated via the news coming over the Greek television. But nevertheless it is very, very worrying and very scary. Passengers still awaiting rescue described harrowing scenes as the burning ship continued to be rocked by heavy storms. “The ship is still burning. The floors are scorching hot. We are choking from the fumes...we are drenched and shaking,” passenger Giorgos Styliaras told a local television station.
"So I just hope that they will be able to get everybody off there as soon as possible." Five military helicopters, two planes and eight ships were dispatched to help with the effort, but passengers feared the terrible weather would foil their rescue. “We’re burning and we’re sinking. No one can save us,” said Nikos Papatheodossiou. “They can’t reach our ship and fire is expanding: help, help, we’re asking for help.”
Another caller to Greek TV described the rescue effort. "They tried to lower some boats, but not all of us could get in. There is no co-ordination," he said. "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 passenger told Greek television station Mega: “On the lower deck, where the lifeboats are, our shoes were starting to melt from the heat.”
The Greek shipping minister, Miltiadis Varvitsiotis, said the combination of very bad weather, with winds of up to 55 miles (88 kilometres) per hour and the fire, made the operation extremely complicated. The vessel Norman Atlantic is seen in this photo taken on September 26, 2014
“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.” Officials said the ferry was 44 nautical miles northwest of the island of Corfu when it issued a distress call. Hours later, the Italian captain said the ship was drifting towards the Albanian coast and that the crew had managed to contain the blaze.
The vessel Norman Atlantic is seen in this photo taken on September 26, 2014 Varvitsiotis said there were 478 passengers and crew aboard the ship, more than the 466 originally reported. Of those, 268 were Greek. Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi said he was in touch with his Greek counterpart Antonis Samaras. “We’re working on saving all the passengers and we’re trying to ensure that no-one, no-one, will be left without help during this difficult situation,” said Greece’s Merchant Marine ministry Militadis Varvitsiotis. “It is one of the most complicated rescue operations we’ve ever had to deal with.”
While rescue vessels and aircraft had been dispatched to the scene, early work was being coordinated from nearby passenger and cargo ships.
Officials said both Italian and Albanian authorities were taking part in the operation, which was being conducted in extremely difficult conditions with strong winds, heavy seas and very cold temperatures.
Rescue helicopters and a C-130 search-and-rescue support aircraft had also been sent.
Additional reporting by Reuters