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'Migrant ship' heads for Italy after distress call scare | |
(about 3 hours later) | |
A cargo ship believed to be carrying hundreds of migrants is heading for Italy after a passenger sparked an alert near the Greek island of Corfu. | |
The distress call to Greek emergency services prompted the navy to send a helicopter and a warship to the scene. | |
But later the coastguard said the captain of the Blue Sky M had been contacted and no-one was in danger. | |
The incident came two days after a fire broke out on a ferry not far away, leaving at least 10 people dead. | |
Resources were diverted to the cargo ship from the ongoing search near the wreck of the ferry, Norman Atlantic. | |
Greek coast guard special missions officers were also seen leaving Corfu for the area, just to the south-west of the small island of Othonoi. | |
Abrupt turn | Abrupt turn |
The Moldovan-flagged Blue Sky M was reportedly heading for the port of Rijeka in Croatia. | The Moldovan-flagged Blue Sky M was reportedly heading for the port of Rijeka in Croatia. |
But according to tracking website MarineTraffic, the ship abruptly changed direction south of Othonoi on Tuesday morning, heading west towards Italy. | But according to tracking website MarineTraffic, the ship abruptly changed direction south of Othonoi on Tuesday morning, heading west towards Italy. |
The passenger on board the Blue Sky M had reportedly phoned the Greek 112 emergency line, complaining "we are without water, food and blankets". | |
Unconfirmed reports also referred to armed men being on board, however the ship's captain later said no assistance was being sought. | |
Weather conditions in the Ionian sea have been poor for several days, hampering the rescue of those on board the Norman Atlantic. | Weather conditions in the Ionian sea have been poor for several days, hampering the rescue of those on board the Norman Atlantic. |