Fire on Palermo-Naples ferry prompts investigation into safety protocols

 ROME – A fire broke out in the engine room of the ferry Raffaele Rubattino, operated by Grandi Navi Veloci (Tirrenia), while the vessel was en route from Palermo to Naples on Sunday evening, shipping sources said. Thanks to the swift response of the crew and emergency services, all 227 individuals on board—155 passengers and 72 crew members—were unharmed.

 The incident occurred at approximately 5:40 p.m., around fifteen nautical miles northwest of the island of Capri, with the ship nearing its final destination. According to initial reports from the bridge, the fire was preceded by a spark in the engine room, which quickly escalated into flames and thick black smoke.

 The cause of the fire remains under investigation. A preliminary hypothesis suggests a possible leak of a high-pressure substance that may have come into contact with overheated surfaces, triggering a flash fire. However, no official technical verification has yet confirmed this scenario.

 Upon detecting the fire, the vessel’s crew activated emergency safety protocols. The engine room was evacuated and sealed off, and the CO₂ fire suppression system was deployed, which successfully extinguished the flames.

 Firefighters boarded the ship while it remained off the coast of Capri to assess the situation and conduct a preliminary inspection of the affected areas. Simultaneously, the Prefect of Naples, Michele di Bari, activated the local rescue coordination centre, while the Naples Port Authority, led by Admiral Gaetano Angora, coordinated maritime emergency operations.

 With the ship's engines shut down and the vessel adrift approximately five miles from Capri, passengers were moved to the bow of the ship as a precaution. Two Coast Guard patrol boats and six nearby vessels responded to the scene, standing by to assist with a possible evacuation. Ultimately, the evacuation was not required, as the situation remained under control.

 The ferry was later towed to Naples by the tugboat Vivara, with additional support vessels joining the operation. The Raffaele Rubattino arrived at the Port of Naples, specifically at the Immacolatella gate, shortly after midnight.

 News of the incident prompted concern among relatives of those on board. At 11:00 p.m., a Neapolitan couple awaiting the arrival of two Sicilian friends described their anxiety. “They reassured us that everyone is fine, but it was very frightening,” they said, recounting a brief phone call with the passengers. According to them, the lights went out before they were relocated to the bow and given life jackets, spending tense moments there until the fire was contained.

 This incident follows a similar episode earlier this summer. On June 3, a cruise ship experienced an engine room malfunction while navigating between the island of Capraia and Corsica. Smoke filled parts of the vessel, causing a delay of over 12 hours in its arrival to the port of Genoa. In that case, passengers were evacuated as a precaution, but no injuries were reported.

 Authorities have launched a formal investigation into the Raffaele Rubattino fire to determine its cause and to assess any potential safety protocol improvements.

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