site.btaAll Bulgarians Rescued from Fire-Hit Italian Ferry

All Bulgarians Rescued from Fire-Hit Italian Ferry


Sofia, December 29 (BTA) - All Bulgarians travelling on the
fire-struck Italian ferry have been rescued, the Bulgarian
Foreign Ministry said Monday evening. A total of 11 Bulgarians
have been successfully evacuated. The rescue of seven of the
Bulgarian passengers has been officially confirmed by the local
authorities, while the other four personally reported that they
were safe and sound. The Italian military ship "San George"
rescued Bulgarians V. Dospatliev and A. Asenov. Another four
Bulgarians, Galin Haitov, Krassimir Estov, R. Todorova and S.
Argirova, were evacuated earlier.

A manifest, received at the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry from the
Greek Foreign Ministry, said that nine Bulgarians were presumed
to have been aboard the ferry which caught fire off the coast of
 Greece early Sunday morning while sailing from Patra, Greece,
to Ancona, Italy.

Meanwhile, Greek coast guard service confirmed the death of five
  persons in the ferry fire, the Associated Press reported. The
 news agency quoted Greek Coast Guard spokesman Nikos Lagadianos
  as saying that four more people were found dead on Monday
after  a Greek citizen was reported killed on Sunday. Of the 478
  passengers and crew on board the ferry, 391 have been rescued
so  far, the Associated Press said. PK, VI/VE, MY,TK/