A fire broke out on two tourist boats docked at the port of Paxos, an Ionian island in western Greece, causing alarm among visitors and residents on Thursday.
According to available information, the fire began aboard a catamaran carrying two American and two British tourists. The captain responded immediately, evacuating the passengers and attempting to extinguish the fire. However, his efforts were unsuccessful, forcing those on board to jump into the sea to escape the blaze.
The fire then spread to a nearby sailing yacht, from which 18 tourists had just disembarked moments earlier.
The Fire Service dispatched eight firefighters and three vehicles, while a firefighting RAFNAR-type boat was also approaching the area. An additional firefighting vessel was dispatched following an order from the Fire Service leadership.
Despite firefighting efforts that continued until midday, both vessels were completely burned and eventually sank.
