| The Greek ferry crew loved football too much Until yesterday evening, there had been no reliable reports about whether Russians were on board the Greek ferry Express Samina, which sank on Tuesday in the Aegean Sea, a little over three kilometers from the island of Paros. Those rescued claim that some of the tourists spoke Russian. In total, according to official information, there were 511 people on the ferry, including 447 passengers (including citizens of Australia, Great Britain, Germany, Italy and South Africa) and 64 crew members. Of these, at least 60 people died, about 40 are listed as missing, and more than 400 were evacuated from the scene of the disaster. The drama of the incident is aggravated by the fact that, according to some evidence, the tourists were taking with them more than 20 children (they are not bought tickets, so it is still difficult to establish the exact number of victims).
Not only the Greek and British Navy and Air Force came to the aid of the victims, but also dozens of schooners and yachts of local fishermen and water recreation enthusiasts. Their task was made more difficult by the fact that, having run into rocks, the 115-meter-long "Express Samina" sank to the bottom in just 45 minutes, and an adult and physically healthy person can withstand the temperature of the Aegean waters for 2.5-3 hours.
According to the head of the Greek coast guard, Andreas Sirigos, the rocks fatal to the ferry are marked by a lighthouse, and “only a blind person could miss them.” Among the probable causes of the accident, excessive enthusiasm of the ferry watch for contemplating an international football match with the participation of compatriots has already been named. The ship's captain and his first mate, as it turned out, were not on the bridge at the time of the accident. Law enforcement agencies ordered their detention. By the way, the Greeks won the football match. Alexey SLOBODIN |
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