Blue Star ferry erupts into huge fireball off Mykonos as 29 people rescued

Blue Star ferry erupts into huge fireball off Mykonos as 29 people rescued A Blue Star Ferries vehicle ferry caught fire off Mykonos, Greece, with 29 people rescued after a huge blaze broke out on board. A Blue Star ferry erupted into a huge fireball off Mykonos as 29 people were rescued from the burning vessel. Thick black smoke was seen billowing from the Greek-flagged roll-on, roll-off vehicle and passenger ferry on Friday as it sailed the waters near the Greek island of Mykonos. The fire prompted the Hellenic Coast Guard and nearby vessels to aid in the evacuation of 29 people on board. The 23,986-gt Blue Carrier 2, part of Blue Star Ferries' fleet, was later abandoned once the 28 crew members and one passenger, a truck driver, was brought to safety, Attica Ferries said. The company, which forms part of Attica Group, the largest ferry owner in Greece which owns Blue Star Ferries, said all people on board the vessel are safe. According to reports by Riviera, no information has been released over what caused the blaze. Attica Ferries said in a statement that the evacuation was "organised" using "onboard means". The Panhellenic Seamen’s Union, a Greek seafarer's union, said in a post on social media that the still-burning vessel is being relocated by coat guard vessels to the port of Tinos. It said the "fire on the vessel remains out of control" and an advanced fire-fighting tugboat is assisting the relocation. The union also claimed that cargo on board the ship includes "many trucks carrying flammable materials such as fuel, oxygen and chemicals". Sources from the Greek Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Insular Policy said an operational coordination conference call was made to "manage and respond to the fire". Attica Ferries has also reported it has organised "specialised companies" to salvage the burned wreckage and undertake environmental protection in collaboration with local authorities.