Ferry evacuated in Patras following major fire
The "Kriti II" caught fire in the night of Nov 20, 2012, off the port of Patras.
The fire broke out in the car deck while the ship was five miles off the coast coming from Venice via Igoumenitsa.
On board were 113 passengers and a crew of 87 which brought the blaze under control while the ship was entering port short past midnight with smoke billowing from the decks.
About 20 minutes later the ship docked at pier D in the south port, and the passengers were evacuated.
The Coast Guard, boats of the Port Authority, a boat of the fire department, the f/v's "Patreas" and "Eliana" and other craft assisted.
The fire rescue tried to remove as many vehicles as possible from the ferry and used hoses to extinguish the fire. There were 18 vehicles and 92 trucks on board, about 30 of whom were thought to have been destroyed or damaged.
The fire brigade continued its efforts to extinguish the fire together with the crew and tried to locate the source of fire but this was difficult due to the existence of dense smoke in the car deck.
The ferry was immediately detained for inspections. Meanwhile a search started for an unidentified business man who, for unknown reasons, returned to his cabin after already having left the ship.
Fire under control
Aroudn 4 a.m. on Nov 20 the fire aboard the "Kriti II" was under control. The ferry was moved to another berth at the port of Patras for the removal of nine trucks inside the ship which have reportedly suffered severe damage and were difficult to remove.
The firefighters were faced with difficult conditions because of the fumes that still were inside the ship, and the high temperatures.
Already 18 trucks have been removed and were reportedly damaged. They were stored in the harbour area and the damages recorded. The ship was carrying a total of 92 trucks and 18 cars. Regarding the causes of the fire, the investigations will start after the fire has been fully extinguished. No one was hurt in the accident, in which the passengers had to gather on deck while the ferry was entering the near port.
