Firefighters and shipwreck salvage teams were operating on burnt ship Euroferry Olympia on Thursday to put out persistent fire pockets and locate the last three people who remain unaccounted for.
Eight people have so far been confirmed dead in this maritime accident. Another 281 passengers and crew were rescued when a fire broke out on the ferry early on February 18, while it was travelling from Igoumenitsa to Brindisi.
According to owners Grimaldi Group, the ship was carrying 153 trucks and 32 passenger vehicles. It was towed from NE of Erikoussa island in the Ionian sea to Astakos on the western coast of Greece, where the fire rekindled when the garage door was opened.
Fourteen trucks were removed from the ferry on Thursday to be thoroughly inspected by fire brigade experts appointed to the task by the Corfu and Messolonghi prosecutor’s office before they are transported to a special waste disposal facility.
Meanwhile, crews from salvage and towage specialists ‘Megatugs’ have pumped out at least 600 cubic meters of water from the ship’s interior so as to ensure its stability, while water is pumped to cool the ship’s exterior.
The pumping out of some 700 tons of fuel from the ship will commence after all remaining trucks and vehicles are removed.
