The GNV ferry Altair, which arrived this morning at the western pier of the Porto Torres maritime port, will guarantee connections to Genoa, replacing the Azzurra ferry, which was affected by a fire that broke out in the engine room on Friday evening during the voyage, putting two of the four engines out of action .
The Porto Torres Coast Guard has opened an administrative investigation into the incident, which occurred approximately 40 miles from Porto Torres, in international waters under the jurisdiction of the French maritime authorities' SAR (Sartorial Search and Rescue) unit. The investigation aims to reconstruct the incident and determine the cause of the fire.
This morning the ship's captain, Davide De Marzo, and some of his crew members who intervened in the emergency were called to the Harbour Office for questioning .
Coast Guard inspectors, firefighters and officials from the Spresal of the ASL 1 of Sassari boarded the ship, moored in the ASI industrial dock after being towed back to the port by tugboats from the southern coast of Corsica to Turritan, to check the damaged engines and understand what really happened .
The evidence gathered, along with the firefighters' technical reports, will help shed light on the incident, leading to an administrative investigation to determine the causes and any responsibilities.
"Before resuming its voyages, the Azzurra will have to undergo an inspection by the classification society," explains the commander of the Coast Guard, Frigate Captain Mirko Orrù. "Subsequently, certain requirements will be established regarding the work and methods for carrying out the restoration work. Once completed, they will have to be tested by the classification society to confirm the ship's class certificate. Safety certificates will then be issued by the Coast Guard to allow navigation to resume ."
