Grounded Ferry Boat Towed to Safety on Thur. Evening

A ferry boat grounded since Tuesday on a reef in the southern Evoikos Gulf was finally towed to safety on Thursday evening to a nearby harbor in the southern Evia Island resort town of Nea Styra.
The relevant coast guard office with jurisdiction over the specific site had earlier approved of a plan to remove the vessel, the Panagia Paravouniotissa, from the shallows. Another vessel, two tugboats and a coast guard anti-pollution craft participated in the operation. Weather conditions were also positive, with wind speed at 5 on the Beaufort scale.
A day earlier salvage divers had detected multiple tears in the hull along a length of 10 to 15 meters.
In an announcement this week, the Piraeus-based company that operates the ferry boat said it will make an official statement once a maritime accident report is completed.
Thirty-five cars and three motorcycles were due to be offloaded late Thursday evening in order to be returned to their owners.
According to a report aired by Mega Channel, many of the passengers are expected to file lawsuits against the vessel’s operator and owners.