SNAV SARDEGNA Hundreds of passengers stranded on disabled ferry

[Nereo Castelli]

The shipping company SNAV launched a special device to care for nearly 800 passengers of the "Sardegna" in the port of Cartagena after the ferry docked at the Pier St. Lucia on Sep 6, 2016, at 9.15 p.m. following an engine faulure. The ship was disabled off the coast of Cartagena and towed into port by two tugs. It was sailing from Tangier to Genoa, with a stopover in Barcelona. Almost all passengers were Moroccan who were returning with their cars and belongings to European towns after spending holidays in their homeland. Minutes after the arrival of the ship in port maritime authorities and the shipping company were mobilized to assess the situation and initiate an evacuation plan so that the passengers would reach their destinations as soon as possible due to the inability to reorganize the trip on another vessel of similar size. Around midnight it was decided that about 50 passengers sailing without a car could continue the trip to Barcelona on a bus and the rest in their cars, escorted by the local police. But the plans were canceled early next morning by the refusal of most of the passengers to leave the ship in order to obtain assurances from the SNAV regarding refunds of their tickets and payment of compensation for unforeseen expenses such as tolls on highways. Meanwhile most of the passengers have left the ship bound to Barcelona. Spanish report with photo:www.laverdad.es/m...