All passengers off stricken Adriatic ferry, 5 dead

All passengers have been evacuated from a ferry that caught fire in the Adriatic Sea on Sunday with only five lives found dead, the commander of the vessel and four naval officials remained on board, the Italian coast guard said Monday.

More than 400 passengers had been traveling on the Norman Atlantic between the Greek port of Igoumenitsa and the Italian port of Ancona when the blaze broke out in the ferry's parking bay.

An Italian navy medical team boarded the ship to aid passengers, some of whom had been suffering hypothermia and smoke inhalation, the navy said. The already cold conditions were worsened by the spray from tugboat hoses as authorities attempted to douse the flames.

One man died after he jumped or fell into the cold water, authorities said. It is unclear how the other four victims died.

Passengers able to escape the ferry told Greek and Italian newsgroups they felt like "prisoners on a burning ship."

The disaster made national headlines in Greece, Italy and other countries with citizens aboard the ferry. In a Sunday morning public address, Pope Francis offered "affection and prayers" to those affected by the Norman Atlantic ferry fire as well as a collision in the Adriatic Sea between two merchant ships.

Source: CNN