Remaining passengers of the burning Italian ferry on the Adriatic Sea were ushered to safety. Most passengers aboard the Norman Atlantic ferry were rescued by Greek and Italian rescue teams who worked through the night to get them out.
Seven people have died from the fatal fire, while several others were injured according to recent reports. A total of 478 passengers, including the crew were aboard the ship when it caught fire. Most of the ferry's passengers were from Greece, but there are also passengers from Albania, Italy, Germany, Turkey, the Netherlands, and France.
Four of the bodies were recovered on Monday. The body of a 62-year old man from Greece was already recovered. He was traveling with his wife who sustained some injuries due to the tragic event, according to Nikos Lagadianos, Coast Guard spokesman.
The rescue operations had been a challenge for the airlift crew, as strong winds were blowing while they were trying to get passengers off the ferry. Thick smoke also made the feat more difficult, especially during the night. The captain and four officials are still onboard the ferry, according to the Italian Navy.
The rescuers required extraordinary support due to the extraordinary circumstances at the time, which they have received. The ferry, according to Italian Navy spokesman Riccardo Rizzotto, is now drifting to the Albanian coast.
The fire started from the lower deck garage, the exact location is yet to be confirmed as there are different accounts from witnesses as to where the fire had originated. The fire was said to have starts around 6:00 a.m. on Sunday. It is still unclear as to what caused the fire. The Norman Atlantic was sailing from Patras in Greece to Ancona, Italy.
Carlo Visentini, CEO of the Visentini Group which owns the ferry, has told the press that the vessel successfully passed recent technical inspections. He also said that there was a "slight malfunction" with one of the ferry's fire doors.
The tests confirmed that the boat was in full working order," Visentini said. He further added that the slightly damaged fire door has been fixed.
