Private divers have been called in to inspect the damage to the hull of the passenger/car ferry “Blue Star Patmos” after it ran aground near the entrance of Greece’s Ios harbour around midnight, with 205 passengers and 87 crew on board.
The ship remains grounded at the entrance of the harbour, while the passengers and 44 crew members have been transported to safety on the island in the high-speed catamaran “SuperJet” and the tourist boat “Vassilios”.
She will also undergo inspection by coast guard’s vessel inspection service and the shipping classification society it is registered with, in order to assess the damage sustained.
The “Blue Star Patmos” started taking on water on the starboard side after the impact but this has now stopped, the ferry company announced. A tug boat has been sent for to help pull the ship free, after the divers complete their inspection.
The ferry was on a route from Piraeus port to the islands of Syros, Paros, Naxos, Ios, Thira and Anafi. In addition to the passengers, there were 21 cars and 12 trucks on board. None of the passengers were injured during the impact and no marine pollution has been detected. The ferry company will make arrangements to get passengers to their respective destinations.
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RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations , Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report
Photo Source: Wikimedia Commons Copyright: Zde License: CC-BY-SA
Source: ANA-MPA
