VIDEO: Grimaldi RORO catches fire: 2 trapped onboard and 11 missing

Last updated on February 26th, 2022 at 01:16 pm

On Friday morning, the Grimaldi RORO, Euroferry Olympia, was engulfed in flames. The Greek coastguard reported two men being trapped and 11 passengers missing.

The Italian-flagged ship had 239 passengers and 51 crew members on board, said the coastguard. Most of them had successfully boarded rescue vessels, transferring them to the port of the island of Corfu. There haven’t been any reports of fatalities or severe injuries.

After a full-fledged identification process, 278 people were rescued. It also included a person who wasn’t on the official passenger’s list.

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The two individuals being trapped are truck drivers of Bulgarian and Afghan nationality. Rescue operation is underway. Others who are missing, their identities haven’t been disclosed.

The Euroferry Olympia was on a journey from Igoumenitsa in Greece towards Brindisi in Italy. The fire broke out in deck No. 3, reported Grimaldi. The cause of the fire is still under investigation. Furthermore, the ship also carries 32 passenger vehicles as well as

153 commercial vehicles. The company negated the idea of a fuel spill, as no spillage has been detected at sea, nor does the ship’s stability appear to be compromised.

Several ships are deployed to distinguish the ongoing fire. They include a floating firefighter along with a tug with increased firefighting capacity. Several other tugboats have also been hired.