HellasFrappe will be following the story throughout the day, check in every so often for more updates
UPDATE 21:00 Local Time - Greece's Merchant marine ministry announced two hot lines for information on Norman Atlantic passengers. The numbers are: 213-1371042 and 213-1371036. An info hot line has also been provided for non-Italian passengers. In Italy, Italian prime minister Matteo Renzi said that the number of confirmed dead has risen to eight. La Repubblica newspaper is also speaking of 38 missing passengers but the media in Italy has not breathed a word about the ferry passengers that are "unaccounted for" (or the illegal immigrants that were supposedly on board as reported by some Greek military news sites). In fact the media in Italy is claiming that everyone has been evacuated from the Norman Atlantic, including the captain, who it insists was the last one to leave the ship.
UPDATE 17:15 local time: Italian officials proudly announced that all remaining passengers have been rescued from the blazing Norman Atlantic. The Italian Coast Guard then said in an announcement that two more bodies were found in the ship wreckage, bringing the death toll up to seven in total. Italy's Coast Guard tweeted: "We found two more bodies. The total (number) of dead stands at 7." The news, however, triggers fears that the number of victims is going to continue to rise because the number of paid passengers and crew member evacuees does not add up to the number (478) in accordance with the passenger list. It was also reported that the ship was also transporting several illegal immigrants (said to total 15). The illegal immigrants are suspected of lighting a fire in the garage to warm up, but as we all know the fire eventually ended up burning down the ship (this is not as far-fetched as it sounds because the scene has repeatedly happened on other routes claims one report in defencenet but it had never developed into tragedy). This development, however, is not as alarming at the moment as the final count is and this is because there are reports circulating that there are still 40 people missing.
UPDATE 13:00 local time: Italian authorities denied reports to Italy's Rai TV channel that there are four dead passengers on the ship, but one reporter on Skai Channel in Greece insisted on the report and the story was finally confirmed at 13:00 by Greek authorities. Meanwhile, the Greek state news agency ANA-MPA reported that seven passengers were transferred by helicopter to a hospital on the island of Kerkyra (Corfu). Also, Greek and Italian helicopters have been airlifting the passengers – most of whom are Greek – and transferring them to nearby vessels. A team of Italian medics has boarded the Norman Atlantic, but so far not serious injuries have been reported. Efforts are being made to tug the boat to safety, although there is some confusion whether it is being taken to Italy or Albania. Finally, the French Le Figaro newspaper said in one report that an investigation has been launched by Bari prosecutor Giuseppe Volpe into the causes of the fire.
UPDATE 11:00 local time: The passengers covered in blankets arrived exhausted at Bari's port in Italy. Meanwhile, the Italian Navy announced that about 85 people from the blazing ship were rescued on board San Giorgio ship and were being transferred to Grottaglie by helicopter. The Greek state news agency ANA-MPA said that at least 316 people have been rescued from Norman Atlantic leaving 162 still on board. Finally, the Italian paper Corriere de la Serra reported that Greek soprano Dimitra Theodossiou was on board the ship.
For past LIVE Updates about this tragedy - Please click HERE to read the article that was published on Sunday as well as all of the UPDATES.
Sources: ANA-MPA, Mega TV, Skai Tv, ProtoThema, enikos.gr
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