MILAN, Italy — A fire aboard an Italian ferry is under control as rescue teams evacuated 167 passengers amid rough seas and high winds after the blaze began during a route off the Greek island of Corfu Sunday.
An operation led by Italy docked a tugboat to the Norman Atlantic ferry, helping to stabilize the vessel that departed from the Greek port of Patras en route to Ancona, Italy, with 422 passengers and 56 crew members on board.
Greek Shipping Minister Miltiadis Varvitsiotis said in a press conference Sunday night that one person died while trying to flee the ferry, while two more were injured. The Italian Coast Guard said most of the rescued passengers were transferred to cargo ships in the area and that 16 were taken to Italy.
The fire was partly contained and while the ferry had listed slightly, it’s not in danger of sinking, a Greek shipping ministry spokesman who asked not to be named said by phone at 9 p.m. Athens time. Ports in Albania have been put on alert should the vessel be towed to that country, Italian news agencies reported.
The Italian Navy and Coast Guard are coordinating the rescue effort in the strait between Italy and Albania. The blaze broke out about 4 a.m. in the Italian-flagged ferry’s car-parking area. Italian television stations showed smoke billowing from the vessel with many passengers standing on the deck, according to news RAINews24.
Italian Defense Minister Roberta Pinotti said helicopters would continue rescue operations through the night. “It’s going to be a long and difficult night,” Varvitsiotis said in comments broadcast live on Greece’s Alpha TV.
Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras was in contact with his Italian counterpart, Matteo Renzi, the latter said in a Twitter posting earlier Sunday.