Coastguard says 150 rescued from Norman Atlantic after fire broke out, and two ships collide in thick fog elsewhere in Adriatic

This article is more than 5 years old

This article is more than 5 years old

Rescue services were facing a double emergency in the Adriatic after a ferry plying between Greece and Italy caught fire with at least 466 people on board and two merchant vessels collided off the north-eastern Italian port of Ravenna.

According to conflicting reports, up to four people were missing following the collision and several were injured. The two ships – one Turkish and the other flying the flag of Belize – collided in thick fog.

Rough seas between Albania and the heel of Italy were hampering efforts to evacuate a burning Italian ferry, on which hundreds of people were trapped.

The Greek coastguard said 150 people had been rescued from the Italian-registered Norman Atlantic. The ferry sent a distress signal after fire broke out on its lower deck.

The Italian news agency Ansa reported that the captain had told the Italian coastguard he could no longer control his vessel, which was drifting eastwards towards the Albanian shoreline north of the port of Vlora. The agency said the rescued passengers, including women and children, had been taken aboard a Greek ferry.

Eight Italians suffering from hypothermia were reported to have been rescued and flown to the military airport in the south-eastern Italian region of Puglia. From there they were moved to a civilian hospital in the town of Galatina

The rest of the passengers were reported to have taken refuge on the upper decks of the vessels. “The fire is still burning,” Greek passenger Sofoklis Styliaras told Mega television. “On the lower deck, where the lifeboats are, our shoes were starting to melt from the heat … There’s nowhere else for us to go. It’s impossible to walk on the lower deck because of the heat.”

Facebook Twitter Pinterest The Norman Atlantic pictured from a nearby ship. Photograph: SKAI TV Station/AP

Seven merchant ships and an Italian coast guard vessel, were on the scene, ready to take on more passengers, while a firefighting tug dispatched from Brindisi was on its way to the area.

Cold winter temperatures and winds gusting at up to 55mph made conditions difficult for rescuers.

Greece’s merchant marine minister, Miltiadis Varvitsiotis, said the coastguard was in constant contact with Italian authorities and the Greek armed forces. “We are committed to rescuing everyone on the ship, and are trying to ensure that nobody will be left unaided,” he said.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Greece’s merchant marine minister, Miltiadis Varvitsiotis, on the fire.

Greek authorities said they had sent five helicopters and a military transport plane to the area to assist in the operation.

The 26,904-tonne Norman Atlantic was built only five years ago.