Italian ferry "GNV Azzurra" arrives in Sardinia after an engine room fire

The ro-pax vessel "GNV Azzurra" (IMO 7826790), flagged in Italy, suffered an engine room fire during the night of June 19 to 20 while covering the route between Genoa and Porto Torres (Sardinia), according to Italian maritime media.

The incident forced the activation of an emergency device coordinated between the maritime authorities of France and Italy, who quickly deployed to assist the vessel, which had 876 passengers and crew on board.

The distress call was received around 10:30 PM by the Regional Operational Center for Maritime Surveillance and Rescue in the Mediterranean when the vessel was about 20 miles from Cape Senetosa, southwest of Corsica.

The crew initiated safety protocols to control the fire and, as a precaution, passengers were moved to safe points with life jackets while the situation was assessed.

Emergency teams deployed an extensive operation with rescue boats, a helicopter, and specialized firefighting units. Rescue resources remained alongside the vessel throughout the night prepared for a possible evacuation.

Finally, after confirming that the fire was under control and there was no immediate danger, it was decided that the vessel would continue its journey towards Porto Torres assisted by a tugboat.

The vessel "GNV Azzurra" finally arrived in Porto Torres at 2:18 PM on Saturday the 20th, according to maritime traffic data recorded on Vessel Finder.

As of today, investigations continue to clarify the origin of the fire that left two of the vessel's four engines out of service. Meanwhile, the "GNV Azzurra" will have to undergo new technical inspections and obtain authorization from the classification society and maritime authorities to resume navigation.

Photo: Préfecture maritime de la Méditerranée