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The search for the 10 missing persons is currently focused on the operation inside the Euroferry Olympia.[/B] According to the report, if this part is not finished, the other parts of the operation, namely the unloading of fuel and the transfer of the ship to a port are currently with a question mark of when they will start. In this part all eyes are on the fire brigade and when they will give the green light for these orders to be given.[/B] As for the investigation part, there are significant difficulties.
As we were told by the fire brigade: "The whole ship will be searched. At the moment we cannot say for sure what percentage of the fire is out, because the external picture, which at the moment seems to be that the fire is now significantly contained, has nothing to do with the internal picture and what continues to burn inside. The external picture is deceiving."
It should be noted that 43 firefighters[/B] are operating on board with echelons going in and out of the ship according to capacity and given that the release of the dioxide is too great, so firefighters are going in and out of the ship with snorkels.
As for the temperatures on board, according to the fire brigade, the thermal camera on the outer part of the ship shows that in some places the temperature reaches 300 and 400 degrees Celsius.
But as we were told: "But we cannot know what the internal temperature is. As the days go by it drops and this allows us to operate longer. The search does not focus on specific points but is carried out throughout the ship. A missing person could be in any part of the ship."
As George Glykofrydis, head of the Greek Rescue Team in Corfu, tells Newsbeast: "The fire externally appears to have been reduced to small fires but the fumes are too intense. The thorough investigation of the ship, however, will take days."
According to Mr. Glykofrydis, today the insurance company of the ship has also arrived at the site, which will take over the issue of transporting the ship when this will be allowed and the decontamination.
"I continue to be optimistic"
Vana Bekiari
, wife of 63-year-old Nikos Bekiaris, who is one of the missing persons, spoke to us about the enormous agony she and her family are experiencing. She told us the following: "Right now we are at the Port Authority of Corfu. The information I have is that there are EMAK teams inside the ship. Today they are constantly informing us about all the news. I continue to be optimistic, as I have been from the first moment, as long as they do not delay any longer and do everything possible. I understand that the conditions are adverse and that the EMAK guys are doing everything they can, at great risk to themselves. I understand from information I have that they are crawling under the trucks because there is no room for them to walk. They do it at the risk of their lives, I say and mean it. My husband was on the second deck on the catwalk when I spoke to him the day he came on board."
"Find the missing persons first but also focus on preventing marine pollution."
The mayor of North Corfu, George Machimaris, also spoke about the situation around the ship. According to him, at the moment the ship has been moved to the northeast, to Cape Agia Aikaterini - Agios Spyridon. In the evening, the ship is moved to more narrow places in order not to be in danger but also not to lose the condition of the investigation of the ship for missing persons. Next to the ship are fire engines and EMAK teams from Athens, Patras and Corfu.
As the mayor notes. We sympathize at this time with the families of the missing persons. The son of a Bulgarian passenger on the boat, who is missing, is here and channels from Bulgaria have come to cover the event. All we have to discuss now is what to do about finding the missing persons. In the second phase, however, we need to ensure immediately that there is no environmental impact on the area and that this part will be taken care of quickly. The positive aspect of the case is that at the moment there is no wind and the weather is very good."
Source: newsbeast.gr
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