The search resumed Thursday for surviving passengers of a Greek ferry which sank in the Aegean Sea with the loss of at least 63 lives, a merchant navy ministry source said.
A criminal investigation has begun into the tragedy, after some survivors claimed the ferry captain had been watching a football match on television as the boat sped to disaster late Tuesday, hitting an islet off the holiday island of Paros and sinking within minutes.
The Greek coastguard was being assisted by army Super-Puma helicopters as well as warships and helicopters from Britain's Royal Naval frigate HMS Invincible.
The rescue operation was suspended for several hours overnight Wednesday due to gale force winds in the region, the ministry said.
According to the latest official toll, along with the 63 people confirmed dead, at least 14 others remained unaccounted for, the ministry said.
A total of 452 or 453 passengers and crew were rescued safely from the waters.
Grieving relatives had identified 54 recovered corpses by Wednesday evening.
Authorities fear that the number of people aboard the Express Samena at the time of the accident may be significantly higher than the figure of 511 officially registered, an official said.
"There were between 100 and 150 people extra on board; passengers from another ferry belonging to the same company, the Apollon Express," he said.
Among the names of 20 deceased, released were 19 Greek nationals and a 51-year-old Norwegian woman.
Medical sources said 76 foreigners -- including six Britons, four Belgians, two or three Swiss, one Russian, five French and several Australians, Germans, and Italians -- were among those reported rescued.
The South African government said six of its citizens were among the survivors.
The 34-year-old ferry, Express Samena, had been heading for Paros from Piraeus late Tuesday when it foundered in stormy seas and sank so quickly that many people did not even have time to don life jackets, one witness said.
Greek Justice Minister Michalis Stathopoulos told the country's parliament there were "serious signs of criminal negligence," after a state prosecutor had the captain, Vassilis Yannakis, the ship's second-in-command Anastassios Psychogios and three other ship officers placed in police custody.
"It's clear that those in charge were not at their place at the helm," Justice Minister Stathopoulos told Greek radio – ATHENS (AFP)
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