Ferry on fire off Piombino

On Mar 6, 2017, at 8.58 a.m. a fire broke out in the engine room of the "Giovanni Bellini" off Piombino. The vessel with 75 passengers on board was en route from Piombino to Rio Marina, but halfway to port one of the diesel generators started smoking and inflamed. The accident happened in strong Scirocco winds which reached 60 km/h from west. The Coastguard deployed the patrol boats "CP 892", "CP 2117" and "CP 553" to render assistance. Firefighters headed to the stricken ferry aboard a lifeboat from Piombino. While all passengers were assembled on deck, the crew activated the CO2 firefighting system. They managed to extinguish the fire, but the vessel was disabled and the propulsion system damaged. The ferry dropped anchor off Palmaiola, between Piombino and Elba. The tugs "Algerina Neri" and "Tito Neri" towed the "Giovanni Bellini" back to Piombino, escorted by the patrol boats from Portoferraio. After the ship was docked at 12.15 p.m., all passengers were disembarked without reported injuries. On the quay there was an ambulance as a precaution to ensure the health of the passengers.