Police, Fire Department and Port Authority have begun investigating the causes of the fire that broke out in the early hours of Thursday, November 13 at Marina Zeas, causing the total destruction and sinking of four motorized vessels, two of which belong to members of the Greek Tourist Boat Owners Association (EPEST) – a member of SETE.
Read: Fire destroys four boats at Marina Zeas: Shocking footage as massive flames spread
Marina Zeas fire: tourism, Piraeus image and yachting in focus
“Four vessels sank: three commercial and one private. Two have Greek flags, one Maltese and the fourth Romanian,” says Antonis Stelliatos, President of EPEST in communication with parapolitika.gr, emphasizing that at this moment, no one can know the real causes of the major fire. “A committee of experts has been formed, plus the investigative team from Zeas Port Authority, and we await the report regarding the exact point where the fire started and the precise causes,” he adds, confirming that all four vessels had fire insurance – as is customary.
Asked whether there is security at Marina Zeas, Antonis Stelliatos replied: “Yes, there is 24-hour security, and it was the guard who notified the port authority when the fire broke out. Here, we must congratulate the sailors of Marina Zeas, because they acted immediately, cut cables on five other vessels moored at the spot and succeeded in preventing the fire from spreading,” he emphasized, also referring to the positive fact that the marina management immediately notified anti-pollution crews.
We remind here that Marina Zeas management has been taken over for the next forty years by a foreign fund, when about three years ago the previous managers of Turkish nationality decided to sell.
“They moved two or three vessels to open waters, and thus prevented the fire from spreading to the rest of the marina area,” said Yiannis Moralis, Mayor of Piraeus in communication with parapolitika.gr, explaining that it helped greatly that the incident occurred at the edge and not in the middle of the marina. Regarding the pollution issue, the Mayor of Piraeus awaits updates in the coming days to ensure that no pollutants have spread. “Fortunately, specialists with crews acted immediately and quickly deployed the special mesh that prevents pollution spread. I expect updates in the coming days to confirm there is no extension. For now though, pollution doesn’t appear to have passed beyond this point and outward, and I hope we won’t have unpleasant surprises“.
Asked if he plans to propose stronger security measures, Y. Moralis replied: “Look, this is the second incident at Marina Zeas in a very short time period. We’re talking about a marina inside our city. So if needed, yes, we will examine proposals for stricter security measures. For now we’ll wait for the report and that will lead us to new decisions,” he clarified, emphasizing that such incidents harm citizen safety and the overall image of Piraeus city.
Tourism yachting damage from Marina Zeas fire
Beyond the negative image for Piraeus’ reputation as the mecca for marine tourism, a huge issue arises for the owners of tourist vessels that were engulfed in flames and sunk. “Yes, there will be compensation – which as we know is a process that takes a very long time – but what will happen next summer? How will the owners of these destroyed vessels work, especially after a year when tourism yachting didn’t record the desired results?” wonders Ant. Stelliatos, as he says no other alternative is foreseen.
