The thriller is in progress in the Adriatic waters with the fire still burning the ship Euroferry Olympia, which was operating the route Igoumenitsa-Brindisi with 290 passengers.
The majority of the passengers were rescued by arriving in Corfu in lifeboats, however a huge operation is underway to locate and rescue 12 missing persons, including three Greeks.
The anxiety has peaked as so far there has been no communication with them.
The search and rescue operation continues.
Earlier last night, shocking shots were released by the operation to locate and rescue the two drivers who were trapped in the garage of the burning boat.
The two men who were released were taken to Corfu airport and taken to Corfu General Hospital for medical treatment.
One of the two, a 65-year-old Bulgarian, was deemed necessary to be intubated.
The second of the rescued, was examined in emergencies, however it seems to be in good condition.
This is a 25-year-old man of Afghan origin.
The 3 EMAK men who rushed to operate on the ship are given oxygen because they inhaled a large amount of smoke.
The Euroferry Olympia was engulfed in flames at 4:35 off Ereikousa.
The fire spread quickly, an alarm was sounded and evacuation procedures were started immediately.
A black cloud of smoke covered everything and the night became day by the size of the fire.
The fire broke out on the third deck, for a reason unknown until now.
“They woke us up at 4:25 in the morning. An hour later the ship was evacuated. “From the moment the ship was evacuated to a fourth dump, in 15 minutes, the fire reached the open deck where we were,” said a witness.
The ship was sailing from Igoumenitsa in the direction of Brindisi.
After a few hours, boats of the Greek Navy and ships from Italy arrived at the spot to pick up the passengers and transport them to the port of Corfu.
Now there are many questions. Did the fire break out due to a short circuit in the ship’s power supply, motor or truck engine? Caused by human error? How did it expand? Were there flammable materials nearby such as fuel, tires, plastic covers, vehicle loads or ship oils and paints?
Authorities after the fire will conduct an investigation to determine the causes of the fire and how it started.
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