An unshaped mass of ironware witnessed the first Italian firefighters who managed to access one of “Norman Atlantic’s” garages yesterday. The ferry, which is currently tied to the port of Brindisi, was accessed by firefighters and specialists during the weekend, although some of its areas remain inaccessible.
“There were some photos taken but nobody can say if there are dead people in the burned vehicles, while we estimate that the identification of possible corpses will be extremely difficult,” said to Greek newspaper “To Vima” officials who are closely looking at the progress of the research operation.
But the research had to be suspended today due to the heavy winds blowing in the area, while only one echelon of Italian specialists reached the ship’s pier and undertook an external investigation, as it was risky to get on board. The investigation inside “Norman Atlantic,” which was planned to be completed today, will be concluded when the weather conditions improve.
As pointed out by the firefighters on board the ship, there are still fires burning that could not be extinguished due to the strong wind (burning vehicle tires, trucks transporting oil etc). Also, the ship has an inclination of about seven to eight degrees and it is likely that this inclination might grow because of the water being thrown to extinguish the fires. It should be noted that when the ship arrived in Brindisi, temperatures inside exceeded 180 degrees Celsius.
At the same time, the relatives of those missing (15 according to latest information emerging from the Italian authorities) are anxiously waiting developments regarding the fate of their beloved ones, while many Greeks have travelled to Brindisi in order to learn more about their missing family members. What they currently request from the authorities is to accelerate the research process within the ferry boat. Among those 15 missing, eight are believed to be Greek citizens, while the final number of confirmed dead is nine, three of whom are Greek. Those rescued are 453.
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