Passengers evacuated from stranded Greek island ferry

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.

Passengers on the stranded Jet One catamaran were being moved late yesterday to life rafts, as another ferry was standing by to pick them up, merchant marine minister Giorgos Anomeritis said.

“It is not a question of saving all the passengers – this is 100% certain - but we are taking great care to avoid any injuries during the transfer,” Mr Anomeritis said.

Two rescue helicopters and a military transport plane were assisting the effort, some 20 miles south of Santorini, a popular Aegean Sea holiday resort.

More than a dozen alerted vessels were also in the area.

The Jet One’s eight crew members were to remain on board until the catamaran could sail or be tugged back to Santorini.

“One life raft has been loaded with passengers and a second raft is being loaded,” Mr Anomeritis said.

“We believe everything will be OK. The weather conditions were initially bad ... but they have improved.”

The ferry had been heading from Santorini to Iraklion on the island of Crete

Greece overhauled rescue procedures and maritime safety rules after the Express Samina ferry disaster in September 2000, when 80 people died after the vessel struck rocks and sank off the Aegean Sea island of Paros.