The Greek coast guard said 280 people were rescued, but 12 people are still missing from the 183-meter (600-foot) ferry that caught fire near the island of Corfu on its way from Igoumenitsa, a port in western Greece, to the port of Igoumenitsa. Italian Brindisi. , a nine-hour flight.
The Greek coast guard said the missing passengers were from Bulgaria, Greece, Turkey and Lithuania.
“The fire is still burning and firefighting ships are trying to put it out,” Shipping Minister Giannis Plakiotakis told Sky TV on Saturday.
Aerial footage released by the Greek Coast Guard on Friday showed rows of burning trucks on the blackened roof after flames engulfed the Grimaldi Lines-owned ship.
Late Friday, Greek crews rescued two people, a Bulgarian and an Afghan, who were not on the official list of missing persons. The company said in a statement that they had been transferred to Corfu Hospital.
The Bulgarian Foreign Ministry said 127 of its citizens were on board the ship.
Most of those rescued are now being housed in hotels on Corfu.
“I’ve been going and going for many years, and I’ve never experienced such a situation before,” said Giorgos Parlatzas, a 50-year-old Greek truck driver, who was evacuated from the ship, from a Corfu hotel.
Grimaldi Lines said the ferry was carrying 153 vehicles.
Plakiotakis said the cause of the fire is being investigated and authorities will have more evidence once the ship is towed to safety.
