'Dozens missing' in fatal Italian ferry disaster
Baku, December 30, AZERTAC
Dozens of people remain reportedly missing from the Norman Atlantic ferry blaze, hours after Italian Premier Matteo Renzi declared all passengers and crew rescued except the captain.
As many as 38 people were still missing from the ferry which caught on fire in the Adriatic Sea a day earlier.
The report also added weight to comments to Anadolu Agency made by a Turkish survivor of the tragedy who said after his arrival at the Italian port of Bari that more people were missing from the Greek-operated ship than the captain had earlier disclosed.
When asked by journalists about reports of more missing passengers, Italian Transport Minister Maurizio Lupi replied that it was "premature" to give a figure for those missing as Italy was waiting for authorities in Greece to confirm the vessel's passenger list.
The Italian Coast Guard earlier announced the death toll from the tragedy had risen to eight.
Italian officials earlier said one of the dead had been identified as a 62-year-old Greek, but the identities of the other seven dead were not immediately disclosed.
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said 13 Turkish citizens had been evacuated from the ferry while Lutfi Elvan, Turkey's Transport Minister, said Italian officials had told him an investigation had been launched into the cause of the fire. Elvan added: "Helicopters rescued passengers throughout the night with winds of over 40 knots."
Turkish sources said a crisis center had been established at Turkey’s embassy in Athens.
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