This article is from the source 'nytimes' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/30/world/europe/italy-greece-ferry-fire.html
The article has changed 6 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| At Least 5 Die in Italian Ferry Fire | At Least 5 Die in Italian Ferry Fire |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| VERBANIA, Italy — At least five people have after a ferry caught fire on Sunday en route to Italy from Greece, officials from both countries announced on Monday, although Prime Minister Matteo Renzi of Italy said that all of the surviving passengers and most of the crew had been rescued. | |
| Rescue teams worked through the night and the morning on Monday to assist those stranded on the ferry, which was carrying 422 passengers and 56 crew members. The commander of the ferry and four officials from the Italian Navy remain on the vessel. Ships loaded with visibly relieved survivors began to arrive on Italian shores. | |
| Speaking to reporters at an end-of-year news conference, Mr. Renzi said that five bodies had been retrieved by operators, and he offered his condolences to the victims’ families. | |
| He also thanked Italian rescue workers for their “passion and tenaciousness,” and he said that their efforts in gale-force winds and rough seas had “avoided a massacre.” | He also thanked Italian rescue workers for their “passion and tenaciousness,” and he said that their efforts in gale-force winds and rough seas had “avoided a massacre.” |
| Their work, he said, “makes us proud to be Italian.” | Their work, he said, “makes us proud to be Italian.” |
| Despite high winds, helicopters managed to retrieve all of the passengers by early Monday afternoon, and they began transporting the crew members to nearby vessels, including two navy ships. The presence of the military vessels, equipped with helicopter pads, sped up rescue efforts. | Despite high winds, helicopters managed to retrieve all of the passengers by early Monday afternoon, and they began transporting the crew members to nearby vessels, including two navy ships. The presence of the military vessels, equipped with helicopter pads, sped up rescue efforts. |
| Passengers were brought to various Italian ports, and those with hypothermia or smoke inhalation were taken to hospitals. | Passengers were brought to various Italian ports, and those with hypothermia or smoke inhalation were taken to hospitals. |
| Prosecutors in the southern Italian port of Bari have opened a criminal investigation into the accident. They began interviewing some of the passengers who had arrived earlier Monday morning on a container ship, where they had been transferred from the ferry. | Prosecutors in the southern Italian port of Bari have opened a criminal investigation into the accident. They began interviewing some of the passengers who had arrived earlier Monday morning on a container ship, where they had been transferred from the ferry. |
| Rescue workers will also be questioned as prosecutors seek to determine the cause of the fire and whether negligence was a contributing factor. A separate investigation was opened in Brindisi, Italy. | |
| The Italian news media reported that the ship had not fully passed a recent inspection this month, but the Italian owner of the ship said that the paperwork was in order. | The Italian news media reported that the ship had not fully passed a recent inspection this month, but the Italian owner of the ship said that the paperwork was in order. |