Just weeks after a fire ripped through ANEK Line’s chartered Visentini built Ro-Pax ship Norman Atlantic in December, another Visentini ship suffered a fire on 28th April. The Grimaldi Lines (Atlantica di Navigazione) ship Sorrento (25,984gt/2003 built) was on charter to Acciona Trasmediterranea for a Mallorca-Valencia service.

There were 156 passengers and crew aboard with all being rescued after the distress call was issued at 1350 local time, an hour/35 miles after the ferry had sailed from Palma de Mallorca. Passengers took to lifeboats with six rescue vessels and two helicopters attending.The fire ravaged the ship to such an extent that the forward superstructure buckled and sagged. The evacuated passengers were transferred to the Balearia Puglia, one of two passenger ships asked to assist with the rescue effort. This ship reached Palma at around 2000 that evening. The Red Cross had set up a firstaid point in Palma’s port in case any of the passengers needed medical attention after their ordeal.

Four crew members believed to be suffering from the effects of inhaling smoke from the blaze were taken off the Sorrento by helicopter. They were flown to a hospital in Palma, with one reported to be in a serious condition while the other three were said to be only slightly affected.

The burned out hulk of the Sorrento was towed to the Spanish port of Sagunto (above) on 6th May to allow an investigation to begin. The enquiry in to the Norman Atlantic fire has barely started so it could be a while before the industry learns why on earth two similar ships should suffer such major blazes without the blaze being contained by on board practices or systems.

Following this incident the 21,473gt/1981 built Isabella 1 has replaced the Sorrento with the Almeria-Nador route reverting to the 13,728gt/1980 built Sherbatskiy as before. At the time of going to press there was talk of the Sorrento being rebuilt as the fire caused no fatalities.