Nearly 200 evacuated after fire ignites on berthed ferry in Palermo, Italy

Italian news outlets report that a Ro-Pax ferry suffered an onboard fire while it was berthed at the Sicilian port of Palermo on Saturday, January 14.

The Grandi Navi Veloci (GNV) ferry La Superba was undergoing final preparations prior to departing for Naples when a blaze ignited in its cargo deck on the evening (local time) of Saturday.

The ferry’s 184 passengers and some of the 80-strong crew were safely evacuated as local firefighting teams arrived at the port to render assistance.

The fire was successfully extinguished by the following morning. However, the vessel’s voyage to Naples was cancelled and the displaced passengers were temporarily accommodated in local hotels.

No serious injuries have been reported though a number of people are believed to have suffered smoke inhalation and are undergoing treatment.

This is the second fire incident to occur on board La Superba following its completion in 2002.

On December 22, 2009, while the ferry was in Genoa, a blaze ignited in the engine room, prompting the evacuation of 1,570 passengers. The crew were able to successfully put out the flames using the onboard firefighting equipment.

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