Heat and Smoke Thwart Norman Atlantic Search Operations

zoom Italian firefighters and forensic experts searching for bodies aboard the fire-stricken Norman Atlantic have been hampered by intense heat and thick black smoke, saying it might be days since the fire is completely extinguished, and the section where the fire broke out is accessible, Reuters reports.  The Italian-flagged RoRo/passenger ferry caught fire off the coast of Greece in the early hours of Sunday, December 28. 11 people died in the accident, with the number of missing still to be determined, Italy’s Ministry of Transport said in a statement. Italian and Greek rescue crews managed to airlift 427 people from the burning ferry. ANEK Lines, the operator of the ferry, said that at the time of the accident, there were 475 people on board. Investigators fear that the number of casualties might rise on the account of unregistered immigrants suspected of being smuggled in cars and trucks on the ferry. The Norman Atlantic is owned by the Italian company VISEMAR di Navigazione S.R.L. At the time of the accident, the vessel was on the Patras – Igoumenitsa – Ancona route, 35 miles north of Corfu, sailing in international waters.  World Maritime News Staff, Image: Italian Ministry of Transport