MS Norman Atlantic

Authorities at the Italian port of Brindisi on Monday fully extinguished the fire that had been burning on board the Norman Atlantic ferry for more than two weeks, raising hopes that the stalled investigation into the ferry disaster will intensify.

The representatives of four seamen?s unions expressed concern on Friday at the lack of progress in investigating the causes of the Norman Atlantic tragedy, which has so far led to 10 confirmed deaths, including three Greeks.

Petros Lianos, the last Greek national who had remained hospitalized in Italy after being rescued from the Norman Atlantic following a fire that broke out on the Italian-flagged, Greek-chartered vessel on December 28, returned to Athens on Monday.

By Andrea Rosa

Italian firefighters and forensic experts searching for bodies inside a fire-charred ferry braved fierce heat and thick, black smoke Monday for the third straight day but still did not reach the crucial site where the blaze broke out, authorities said.

Italian firefighters at the port of Brindisi have recovered the main black box data recorder from the Norman Atlantic ferry but there are fears that it may have been seriously damaged by the fire that broke out on board.

Another black box had been discovered on Friday. Italy?s Rai TV reported that authorities believe the fire may have been caused by a short circuit.

The body of a third Greek passenger on the Norman Atlantic ferry was identified on Saturday, soon after investigators boarded the ship for the first time. Rescue crews recovered its black box data recorder but were unable to do much more than that due to the residual heat from the ship’s fire.

Firefighters and investigators boarded the wrecked Norman Atlantic ferry on Friday, after it had been towed to the Italian port of Brindisi.

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Tugboats were finally able on Friday to tow the ill-fated Norman Atlantic to the port of Brindisi in Italy, allowing rescue teams to search the Greek-hired passenger ferry that caught fire on Sunday as it was traveling from Greece to Italy.

BRINDISI, Italy — Firefighters boarded the charred Norman Atlantic ferry in the Italian port of Brindisi on Friday to put out residual fires and allow a search for possible dead.

A missing Turkish passenger aboard the ferry in the Adriatic Sea that burnt down called his family in Turkey, saying he was on one of the lifeboats, but has not been heard from since.