Greece: 237 passengers & 51 crew members evacuated after cruise ship catches fire

All people aboard the cruise ship which caught fire in Greece on Friday have now been evacuated to rescue ships. At least 237 passengers and 51 crew members were stuck in a cruise ship that caught fire on Friday, reported Greece media. According to the Greek channel, Skai TV report, an operation of the Coast Guard was immediately underway and the cause of the fire still remains unknown. Blazes reportedly came out of the third deck of the passenger-vehicle ferry, Euroferry Olympia, which sails under the Italian flag, in the sea area northeast of the island of Ereikousa.

Speaking to Skai TV,  Greek Deputy Minister of Shipping, Costas Katsafados ensured that all passengers were in good health and are were in the lifeboats of the ship before being rescued to a safe location. Katsafados also said that the process to evacuate the passengers and crew members from the ferry had already started. He reportedly said that the captain ordered the ship evacuated because there was a large fire. 

As per the report, the governor of the Ionian Islands Rodi Kratsa had said that Corfu will be receiving the passengers. She also confirmed on Skai radio that according to her own information, every individual is in good health. Furthermore, three coast guard vessels, tugs, and floating ships have been rushed to the spot where the ferry caught fire. 

Moving car caught fire in Greece

The latest fire incident in the ship came after a moving car in Greece’s Messina was engulfed in flames on Thursday. According to a report by Fire Fighting Greece, the incident took place in EO Kyparissias - Kalo Nero, at the height of the bridge of the Arcadian river and mobilized the Fire Service that rushed with two vehicles and four men to extinguish. Even in that incident, nobody was hurt, the driver reportedly got out of the car on time. Agrinio Police Department on Thursday was also notified about a fire in a steakhouse but it was a minor incident that did not cause any damage to neighbouring properties.

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