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| Frightening airborne rescue for stricken ferry passengers | Frightening airborne rescue for stricken ferry passengers |
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| Rescue teams working through the night and battling gale-force winds and monster waves began bringing the victims from a ferry fire ashore to safety Monday, Italian officials said. At least one person is confirmed to have died in the risky rescue operation and several injured. | Rescue teams working through the night and battling gale-force winds and monster waves began bringing the victims from a ferry fire ashore to safety Monday, Italian officials said. At least one person is confirmed to have died in the risky rescue operation and several injured. |
| A cargo ship with 49 survivors of the fire, which broke out Sunday morning aboard the passenger-car ferry, brought the first big group of victims to the southern Italian port of Bari just as dawn was breaking Monday. | A cargo ship with 49 survivors of the fire, which broke out Sunday morning aboard the passenger-car ferry, brought the first big group of victims to the southern Italian port of Bari just as dawn was breaking Monday. |
| Italian and Greek rescue ships and helicopters plucked passengers off the smoking Norman Atlantic ferry and brought them to safety aboard the 10 or so mercantile ships nearby, the Associated Press reported from southern Italy. | Italian and Greek rescue ships and helicopters plucked passengers off the smoking Norman Atlantic ferry and brought them to safety aboard the 10 or so mercantile ships nearby, the Associated Press reported from southern Italy. |
| The cargo ship with the first evacuees landed in Bari after first trying to dock overnight further down the coast at Brindisi. Choppy waters and massive waves prevented a landing there, news reports said. | The cargo ship with the first evacuees landed in Bari after first trying to dock overnight further down the coast at Brindisi. Choppy waters and massive waves prevented a landing there, news reports said. |
| The stricken ferry, carrying 422 passengers, 56 crew members and 200 vehicles, was traveling between Patros in western Greece and the eastern Italian city of Ancona when a fire broke out in the car hold. | The stricken ferry, carrying 422 passengers, 56 crew members and 200 vehicles, was traveling between Patros in western Greece and the eastern Italian city of Ancona when a fire broke out in the car hold. |
| After catching fire, the ferry began drifting, buffeted by strong winds and waves, in the Adriatic Sea between Greece and Italy. | After catching fire, the ferry began drifting, buffeted by strong winds and waves, in the Adriatic Sea between Greece and Italy. |
| After initial rescue efforts were hampered by bad weather — ships could not reach the multi-decked ferry — Italian and greek helicopter crews began the difficult and frightening airborne operation Sunday afternoon. | |
| “It is very very worrying,” Dottie Channing-Williams told the British Broadcasting corporation Monday morning. Her son Nicholas was still on the ferry, she said, but had been separated from the large group he was traveling with. “Conditions are getting worse, we’ve heard ... it’s very hot underfoot in some places on the boat.” | |
| The operation was being coordinated from the Italian navy’s amphibious transport ship the San Giorgio, while the Norman Atlantic is towed to the southeastern Italian port of Brindisi, the Associated Press reported from southern Italy. | The operation was being coordinated from the Italian navy’s amphibious transport ship the San Giorgio, while the Norman Atlantic is towed to the southeastern Italian port of Brindisi, the Associated Press reported from southern Italy. |
| The Italian-flagged Norman Atlantic was being operated by the Greek ferry operator, Anek Lines. | The Italian-flagged Norman Atlantic was being operated by the Greek ferry operator, Anek Lines. |
| Passengers huddled on the vessel’s upper decks, pelted by a driving rain and hail, waiting to be rescued, according to news agencies on the scene. | Passengers huddled on the vessel’s upper decks, pelted by a driving rain and hail, waiting to be rescued, according to news agencies on the scene. |
| Nearby merchant ships lined up to form a barrier Sunday to protect the ferry from the monster waves, Italian officials said. | Nearby merchant ships lined up to form a barrier Sunday to protect the ferry from the monster waves, Italian officials said. |
| The Italian Coast Guard, which was coordinating the rescue operation, said the fire was extingushed about 16 hours after the blaze began. But the ferry was then enveloped in dense smoke, which the Coast Guard said was being fueled by some hotspots inside the ship, the Reuters news agency reported. | The Italian Coast Guard, which was coordinating the rescue operation, said the fire was extingushed about 16 hours after the blaze began. But the ferry was then enveloped in dense smoke, which the Coast Guard said was being fueled by some hotspots inside the ship, the Reuters news agency reported. |
| Greek officials described the rescue efforts as one of the most complex search and rescue operations they’ve had to deal with in years. | Greek officials described the rescue efforts as one of the most complex search and rescue operations they’ve had to deal with in years. |
| “With the wind, smoke entered into the helicopter cabin, acrid smoke,” Maj. Antonio Laneve told Italian state TV, Reuters reported. Some of those they were trying to rescue were very frightened of being hoisted up by helicopter given the bad weather, he said. | “With the wind, smoke entered into the helicopter cabin, acrid smoke,” Maj. Antonio Laneve told Italian state TV, Reuters reported. Some of those they were trying to rescue were very frightened of being hoisted up by helicopter given the bad weather, he said. |
| Nine of those evacuated were taken to the Italian town of Lecce, authorities said. Of those, three children and a pregnant woman were being treated for hypothermia in Lecce hospital, Reuters reported. | Nine of those evacuated were taken to the Italian town of Lecce, authorities said. Of those, three children and a pregnant woman were being treated for hypothermia in Lecce hospital, Reuters reported. |
| The Italian Navy said the man who died and his injured wife were transported by helicopter to the southern Italian city of Brindisi. It was not immediately clear how the death and injury occurred, but the Greek Coast Guard said the pair — both Greek passengers — were found in a lifeboat rescue chute. | The Italian Navy said the man who died and his injured wife were transported by helicopter to the southern Italian city of Brindisi. It was not immediately clear how the death and injury occurred, but the Greek Coast Guard said the pair — both Greek passengers — were found in a lifeboat rescue chute. |
| Another injury was to a member of the Italian military involved in the rescue operation, Coast Guard Admiral Giovanni Pettorino said, Reuters reported. | Another injury was to a member of the Italian military involved in the rescue operation, Coast Guard Admiral Giovanni Pettorino said, Reuters reported. |
| Pettorino told Italy’s Sky TG24 TV that two Italian tugs tried to attach themselves to the ferry in the evening, but were frustrated by the thick smoke. | Pettorino told Italy’s Sky TG24 TV that two Italian tugs tried to attach themselves to the ferry in the evening, but were frustrated by the thick smoke. |
| Passengers described scenes of terror and chaos when the fire broke out as they slept in their cabins. | Passengers described scenes of terror and chaos when the fire broke out as they slept in their cabins. |
| “They called first on women and children to be evacuated from the ship,” Vassiliki Tavrizelou, who was rescued along with her 2-year-old daughter, told The Associated Press. | “They called first on women and children to be evacuated from the ship,” Vassiliki Tavrizelou, who was rescued along with her 2-year-old daughter, told The Associated Press. |
| “Ships could not approach us because of the rain and winds,” Tavrizelou said in a telephone interview from Lecce. “We were at least four hours on the deck, in the cold and rain.” | “Ships could not approach us because of the rain and winds,” Tavrizelou said in a telephone interview from Lecce. “We were at least four hours on the deck, in the cold and rain.” |
| She recalled the ship alarm going off and seeing fire from her cabin. “Then we heard explosions,” she said. It was not immediately clear what the explosions were, and the cause of the fire has yet to be determined. | She recalled the ship alarm going off and seeing fire from her cabin. “Then we heard explosions,” she said. It was not immediately clear what the explosions were, and the cause of the fire has yet to be determined. |
| Most of the passengers were Greek, officials said. But passengers also came from Turkey, Albania, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, Belgium and France. The crew is Greek and Italian. | Most of the passengers were Greek, officials said. But passengers also came from Turkey, Albania, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, Belgium and France. The crew is Greek and Italian. |
| Daniela Deane reported from London. |