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Norman Atlantic ferry: Fire hampers search for victims

04 January 2015 00:29 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. Fierce heat from slow-burning blazes is still keeping rescue crews and investigators from searching the hold and vehicle decks of the Norman Atlantic ferry, APA reports quoting BBC.

Parts of the vessel are still burning nearly a week after it caught fire while sailing from Greece to Italy.

Investigators recovered a "black box" recorder after the ferry arrived in the Italian port of Brindisi on Friday.

It is not clear what caused the blaze, which killed at least 11 people.

Up to 19 are said to still be missing.

It took rescuers more than two days to extract 477 survivors from the burning ferry, mostly by helicopter.

The Italian prosecutor leading the investigation into the cause of the fire, Giuseppe Volpe, has said he fears that the bodies of would-be illegal migrants could be found in the hold.

Smouldering

Port Captain Mario Valente said on Saturday that temperatures were still "very high" inside the car deck. Smoke still poured from the smouldering vessel.

"There is a continuing slow combustion, but a bit less than yesterday," Reuters quoted Capt Valente as saying.

"It will be a few days before all the fire outbreaks are completely extinguished."

He said investigators needed "a bit more time" before they could get down into the hold.