278 passengers evacuated after ferry fire

There is panic on board the ferry: the flames are gigantic. An Italian policeman films the scene: it is 4 a.m., Friday, February 18. Very quickly, help arrived, from Greece, Italy and even Albania to evacuate the 300 passengers on the boat. The operation is dangerous. The passengers were sleeping when the sirens went off. “I didn’t have time to be afraid, to realize what was happening, it was surreal“, testifies a survivor.

The ferry connected the Greek port of Igoumenitsa (Greece) with the port of Brindisi, Italy. The fire reportedly broke out in a garage, igniting the entire ship very quickly, within fifteen minutes. Travelers and staff were rescued and transported to Corfu (Greece). Rescuers worked around the ferry to fight the fire, using fire engines mounted on other ships. Another ten passengers are missing.