The key facts

  • About 875 passengers and 83 crew members were evacuated
  • The threat came via a phone call to a passenger on board
  • No explosive device was found after the search

Ferry evacuation in Piraeus

A ferry that was due to sail from the Greek port of Piraeus to the island of Rhodes, with intermediate stops at Syros, Patmos, Leros and Kos, was evacuated after a report of a possible explosive device on board. According to the Anadolu agency, citing the newspaper Kathimerini,the warning came in on Monday: an unknown caller phoned a passenger on board the vessel and said that a bomb was about to explode. Coast guard officers began searching the ship, but no explosive device was found as a result of the inspection.

What was on board

In addition to approximately 875 passengers, the ferry carried 83 crew members, as well as 89 passenger cars, 12 motorcycles, 110 trucks and a minibus. The newspaper notes that the evacuation took place against the backdrop of a series of bomb threats on passenger routes across Europe last week, which led to emergency landings, route changes, military jet escorts and security checks at airports in several countries. The report does not mention any arrests or the resumption of the ferry's service.