Norman Atlantic

2014

Adriatic, Greek-to-Italian, fire in the hold Location: Adriatic Sea, off Corfu, Greece · Coordinates: 39.83°N 19.30°E · Casualties: ~31 · Survivors: ~460 · Depth: towed · scrapped · Cause: fire — Fire broke out on the vehicle deck shortly after leaving Igoumenitsa, Greece, on the morning of 28 December 2014, en route to Ancona. Fuel and diesel trucks on deck fed the flames; firefighting water pooled, producing stability problems. Rescue of 477 aboard took 36 hours. · Fate: towed to Brindisi · scrapped · Type: roll-on/roll-off ferry · Tonnage: 26,904 tons · Crew: 55 · Flag: Italy · Launched: 2009 Italian roll-on ferry, Patras to Ancona via Igoumenitsa. Fire broke out on the vehicle deck at 04:30 on 28 December 2014 in the southern Adriatic. Firefighting water created a list; rescue by Italian, Albanian, and Greek helicopters took 36 hours under freezing conditions. At least 31 dead, many from exposure on deck before rescue arrived. The Italian Public Prosecutor opened multiple manslaughter charges against the master and Anek Line management. The Vessel The Norman Atlantic was an Italian-flagged passenger-car ferry, built at the Visentini Shipyard at Porto Viro, Italy in 2009 and commissioned on 26 November 2009. She was 187 metres long, 26,904 gross tons, and powered by twin diesel engines producing approximately 27,600 horsepower. Her accommodation comprised approximately 700 passengers plus approximately 200 crew; her cargo capacity was approximately 120 road vehicles on her lower-deck vehicle bay. She was owned by the Italian Visemar di Navigazione and operated under charter by the Italian Anek Lines. Her specific operational role was the Italy-to-Greece car and passenger ferry service between Patras (Greece) and various Italian ports including Ancona and Venice. Her master on her final voyage was Captain Argilio Giacomazzi, 55, an Italian career merchant marine officer. Her complement on 28 December 2014 was approximately 478 persons: approximately 422 passengers (predominantly Greek and Italian civilians returning to Greece after the Christmas season) plus 56 crew. The Disaster The specific progression of the fire in the enclosed vehicle bay was catastrophic. The specific combination of: (i) the combustible materials; (ii) the restricted ventilation; (iii) the specific fire-suppression system failure; (iv) the specific operational delays in activating the emergency response - produced a rapidly spreading fire that was substantially uncontrollable. By approximately 07:00 on 28 December 2014, the vehicle bay fire had compromised the ship's upper decks. The specific fire-fighting efforts by the crew were substantially insufficient; the specific passenger-compartment ventilation systems were progressively drawing smoke into the passenger spaces; the specific evacuation procedures were initiated. The specific evacuation was substantially complicated by: (i) the continuing extreme weather conditions that made lifeboat launch hazardous; (ii) the specific fire-related damage that compromised multiple evacuation routes; (iii) the specific inadequate crew training for fire-emergency evacuation; (iv) the specific language barriers between the primarily Italian and Greek crew and the mixed-nationality passengers. The specific rescue operation was international. Italian, Greek, Albanian, and Croatian maritime authorities coordinated the rescue response over approximately 36 hours (from the morning of 28 December through 29 December 2014). Multiple commercial vessels and helicopters participated in the evacuation and rescue. The specific evacuation was substantia