Most of us were tourists from Italy and other European countries returning from a vacation in Greece. We left the port city of Patras on Friday morning August 27, 1971 and headed northwest through the Ionian and Adriatic Seas to Ancona, Italy. The weather was calm all day on Friday, but our progress was very slow. Sometimes it seemed that the ship was stopped.
We were on the Greek ferry Heleanna, a 561 foot long tanker. Despite its enormous size, it was not difficult to notice that it was crowded, with more than a thousand passengers on each corner and about 200 cars. I was one of the many passengers who did not have a cabin, so I took advantage of it on the upper deck. Here, many enjoyed the caress of sea water in the pool and tried to increase their tan.
That night, many of us slept on the terrace, using the available couches. It wasn't unpleasant at first, but around two in the morning a light wind picked up and continued to increase in intensity. The cold began to penetrate. A good number of them went lower to look for a more protected place. I took my chair and followed him. Many passengers were already sleeping in the dining room, so I looked for a seat and continued to rest.
The fire starts
At 5:40 am, I woke up suddenly. People came and went and I saw light smoke outside. Someone said there was a fire. Then I heard one of the crew members curse the night watchmen for not having noticed earlier. I thought someone had thrown a lit cigarette and lit a small fire. Later, however, newspapers reported that the fire had started in the kitchen at the rear of the ship.
I went back upstairs, where my luggage was. People were moving in all directions. Many already had life jackets. The smoke was rising. I could see the flames leaping high into the air on the left side of the stern of the ship. Some members of the crew ran towards the fire with fire extinguishers.
As the fire grew, so did the panic. The women fainted, the children cried, and the men protested and threatened. Some young people took pictures of themselves in life jackets to demonstrate their expertise.
People ran towards the lifeboats on both sides of the bridge. I moved my bags, which were near the fire, to another place that seemed safer. I only carried one bag, which contained documents and valuables.
I approached one of the lifeboats, which some young members of the crew were working hard to prepare for use. But nothing seemed to work. It was not possible to lower the boat because the thick lines used for this purpose were too thick with paint. Once the problem was resolved, the winch bar was not working properly to lower the boat.
Momentary relief; Increased panic
During that time, the crew appears to have had some success in controlling the fire with extinguishers. Now we only saw a little smoke. The sense of relief was accentuated by the brief announcement about the audio system, the only time it was used: NO DANGER, STAY IN YOUR PLACE.
But unfortunately! The facts were the other way around. The strong wind quickly raised the flames and about five minutes after the announcement, they were seen rising again. Driven by the wind, they advanced furiously. The sight was terrifying.
This time, the passengers, overcome with fear, ran frantically towards the lifeboats. Most of them were partially clothed, many wore only pajamas and nightgowns, as they had slept in their cabins. Within moments, the lifeboats were filled. In fact, they did not know what to do because they had not received an education.
However, the crew tried to remove them from the boats because they could not be lowered. So there was more confusion and panic as people ran. I saw a lady with a completely broken finger running to a doctor.
I didn't see a rescue boat coming and wondered if an SOS had been sent. We were not far from the Italian coast, as we had seen its lights early in the morning. We later learned that we were only fifteen miles from Torre Canne, in southwestern Italy. It appears that an SOS was not sent until 6:40 am, about an hour after the fire was detected.
Everywhere she looked, faces were filled with despair and terror. Here is an Italian woman on the verge of fainting, comforted and encouraged by her daughters. There, a brave French mother gave instructions to her teenage daughters. Later, a couple systematically tied the life jackets of their grandchildren, making sure everything was okay. Even some of the crew's faces were as pale as white sheets.
During this period, two ships were seen on the horizon heading towards us, but still at a great distance. It gave her a feeling of relief. Many thought that the ships would send their lifeboats to rescue us. In fact, word has spread from an unknown source that we should go down the hill to reception and be ready to get down to the lifeboats when they arrive. I took this advice and went down too.
Hoping continue
The reception was already packed in front of the two exit doors. Fortunately, the wind that blew was able to pass through these doors, providing some air to breathe.
People were calmer here, although some were still passing out. They were all trying to comfort each other. They all looked out to sea in hopes of seeing a lifeboat approaching. We were waiting for an announcement on the public address system about what to do, but no one came.
It's been more than half an hour and if the smoke hadn't started coming down the stairs, they probably would have caught us like rats in a trap and burned us alive. I was near the stairs and as soon as I saw the smoke I ran up the stairs. I went to the front of the ship, away from the fire. There were already many people. Thick smoke billowed from behind the commander's deck..............
This good well narrated