Greece halts search for 10 missing in ferry fire to tow ship
Greek authorities say efforts to locate 10 people missing for five days after an Italy-bound ferry caught fire at sea have been suspended while the burnt-out hulk is towed to a mainland port
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Greek efforts to locate 10 people missing for five days after an Italy-bound ferry caught fire at sea were suspended Tuesday while the burnt-out hulk was towed to a mainland port, Greek authorities said.
The Italian-flagged Euroferry Olympia was carrying at least 292 passengers and crew when it caught fire Friday three hours after it left the northwestern Greek port of Igoumenitsa for Brindisi in Italy. A total of 278 people were safely evacuated at sea.
The ship was towed to a spot off the island of Corfu, and rescuers discovered the body of a Greek truck driver inside it on Sunday. Earlier, they extracted three survivors, including a young truck driver who managed to free himself and reach the deck after being trapped for more than two days.
On Tuesday, Greece's fire service said “its operational capability for search and rescue (on the ship), in its present position, has been exhausted,” according to a coast guard statement. The fire service requested that the ship be taken to a safe harbor where rescuers can continue their operation.
The 183-meter (600 foot) vessel was being towed to the harbor of Astakos on the western mainland. The coast guard said the ship should be in port around midday Wednesday and the relatives of the missing people would be taken to Astakos and given lodgings while the search continued.