Greece resumes search for ferry fire survivors, 10 people missing

 More than 72 hours after a fire engulfed the ferry, footage from television shows smoke still pouring from the vessel.

Greek firemen and coastguards have started their search for the ten persons who remain unaccounted for following last week's ferry fire, which claimed the life of a truck driver.

Fire engulfed the Italian-flagged Euroferry Olympia on Monday, more than 72 hours after it was destroyed while sailing from Igoumenitsa, Greece, to Brindisi, Italy, with over 300 passengers on board. Television images showed smoke still pouring from the ship, which was carrying about 300 people.

AFP]

A fire department spokesperson told the AFP news agency on Monday that the operation was "very challenging."

More than 40 firemen were taking part in the search and rescue effort, which was backed up by tugboats and coastguard vessels that were waiting nearby.

"There is a lot of smoke and there is a lot of heat stress," the spokesperson stated.

Fortunately, most of the passengers were rescued immediately, and a Belarusian truck driver, aged 21 years, was rescued alive on Sunday. However, the whereabouts of ten additional truck drivers — seven Bulgarians, two Greeks, and one Turk – are still unknown.

In the accident, the body of a 58-year-old Greek truck driver was discovered on Sunday, marking the first verified death from it.

Two of those rescued were Afghans who were not on the list, raising concerns that there may have been additional unauthorized passengers on board as a result of the incident.

According to the Greek truck drivers' union, the missing drivers apparently slept in their cars since the accommodations aboard the ship were inadequate for their purposes.

"We had a lot of complaints regarding the living circumstances of the drivers," said Akis Dermatis, the union's leader, in an interview with Greek public television station ERT.

A statement issued on Sunday by the ferry's owners, Grimaldi Lines, denied the allegations, stating in part that an assessment by officials in the port of Igoumenitsa two days before the fire had found the vessel to be "acceptable."

Last year, a fire on board an Italian ferry called the Norman Atlantic claimed the lives of 13 people, making it the worst maritime disaster in history.

SOURCE: NEWS AGENCIES