A fire broke out on a ship belonging to the Italian shipping company GNV early on Sunday, June 21, with 673 passengers on board, according to Italian media reports about the incident.
The company stated in a communiqué that the fire was reported suddenly in the engine room, before safety and emergency procedures were activated immediately, and the situation was managed without any injuries among passengers or crew.
It added that passengers were gathered in designated points within the ship and were asked to wear life jackets as a precautionary measure, while being continuously updated on the situation through regular internal announcements in several languages, accompanied by ongoing crew support.
Coordination with the relevant maritime authorities was also carried out, before the ship was directed towards Porto Torres port in Sardinia, where passengers were disembarked and alternative arrangements were made for them to continue their journey.
This incident comes less than a month after a similar fire incident on one of GNV’s ships within Naples port while undergoing maintenance work at the end of May.
GNV operates ferry services in the western Mediterranean, running routes connecting Italy, Spain, Morocco, and Algeria, and it is relied upon by a significant number of Moroccans, especially during the summer peak periods of the Marhaba operation.
The recurrence of such incidents on GNV’s ships raises questions about the company’s safety procedures and its readiness to handle technical malfunctions at sea, should they occur again in a more serious manner in the future.
