Greek investigators hit more dead ends today in the hunt for the Irish owners of ship that was seized with 680 tons of explosives on board.

For weeks, the creaky Balkan Sky, loaded with more than 600 tons of explosives, languished off the Turkish coast waiting for orders to set sail for Sudan with tons of explosives.

The floating “atomic bomb” freighter, under arrest in a Greek port with more than 600 tons of explosives on board was today reported to be Irish owned and was detained in a British harbour earlier this year.

A rusting cargo ship described as a floating “atomic bomb” was under heavy guard today as Greek authorities struggled to unravel its last voyage.

Rescue teams began evacuating 163 tourists and other passengers from a ferry that took on water near the Greek holiday island of Santorini, authorities said.