Six under investigation for ‘Norman Atlantic’ ferry disaster

PADDY AGNEW As the ravaged Norman Atlantic car ferry struggled into the port of Brindisi yesterday, five days after an on board fire which led to the deaths of at least 11 people, it was hard not to recall the uncomfortable memory of the luxury liner, the Costa Concordia that ran aground off the island of Giglio in January 2012 with the loss of 32 lives.

As the damaged ferry was slowly docking in Brindisi, state prosecutor Giuseppe Volpi confirmed that six people were are nowunder investigation for "causing a shipwreck" and for manslaughter – namely, the captain of the Italian flagged, Greek-rented ferry; the head of the company that built it; two crew members and two representatives of Greek ferry line, Anek.

Mr Volpi also said the final death toll could be higher than 11. Given that non-registered illegal immigrants were found among the survivors, rescuers fear that others may have been stowaways on the lorry deck. When conditions permit, the first task for police, firemen and magistrates will be to search the deck for bodies of lorry drivers and illegal migrants.

As with the Concordia, the Norman Atlantic disaster prompts a number of thus far unanswerable questions. The ferry's register reportedly records 474 passengers on board. Yet, 477 survivors were taken off it and at least another 11 have died, leading to speculation that the ferry may have carried not only too many passengers but also too many vehicles on its journey from Patras in Greece to Ancona, Italy. The fire that started the disaster and which was still smouldering as the ship came into port yesterday reportedly started on Lorry Deck 4.

Media reports paid tribute to the role played by the ship’s captain, Argilio Giacomazzi, the last person to be lifted off the burning ship. However, many survivors complained that the rescue operation was conducted amid scenes of panic and confusion among the crew. Media reports say that sailors were not on hand to throw ropes across to the first rescue ships, a task that was carried out by some of the passengers.

Furthermore, the first victim of the disaster, a Greek passenger, died while trying to launch a connecting ladder between the Norman Atlantic and a rescue ship. Passengers have also alleged that several crew members abandoned the ferry before the passengers.