Reuters — ANEK passenger ferry EL VENIZELOS with 1,016 people onboard returned safely to the port of Piraeus in the early hours on Wednesday after it reported a fire on one of the car decks while en route to Chania, the Greek coast guard said.
There were no immediate reports of injuries, a coast guard official told Reuters.
It was escorted back to Piraeus after authorities scrambled air and sea assets to the area.
“It was a huge operation and everything went to plan,” said Nikos Lagdianos, spokesman for the coast guard.
Disembarkation of all passengers was completed around 0700 am (0400 GMT).
The cause of the fire was not immediately clear, but authorities were investigating the possibility it may have started from a vehicle. There were more than 200 vehicles, including 50 lorries on the ferry.
