There is confusion about whether or not a Canadian man was among those rescued from the Italian-flagged ferry that caught fire in the Adriatic Sea on Sunday, killing at least 10 people.
Canada’s Department of Foreign Affairs says it is aware a Canadian had been rescued, and the Greek embassy in Ottawa listed one Canadian among the passengers and crew.
However, the whereabouts of the man, identified as N. Pejcinovksi, are unclear.
The director of the press office at the Greek embassy says officials are not certain Pejcinovksi was actually on board the ship when it left the Greek port of Patras for Ancona, Italy. He added that no one with that name is currently listed among the survivors.
The ferry’s operator said 478 people were on board when the ship, but Italy’s final tally following the rescue comes to only 437, including those who died.
Italian officials say it is premature to speculate on whether people were still missing. They suggest there may be been some people who reserved a place on the ferry but did not board.
Survivors called what happened on the ship “scenes from hell,” describing passengers trampling over and hitting each other to be the first in line to be taken to safety.
As passengers tried to escape from the flames by going on to the deck, they faced freezing rain and huge waves as heat from the fire below scalded their feet.
Captain Argilio Giacomazzi is being widely praised for staying on the ship to see the evacuation through, more than 36 hours after sending out a distress signal.
It is unclear what caused the fire to break out on the ferry’s car deck. Italian prosecutors have opened a criminal investigation.
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