Moments of fear this afternoon at the San Francesco harbor in Messina due to an accident involving the two-way ferry “Pietro Mondello” of the Caronte & Tourist company, coming from Villa San Giovanni.
During the docking operations in Rada San Francesco, the ship, already in the braking phase, recorded the failure of one of the engines. The unit consequently hit the pier during the maneuver. The impact caused a loud bang and a violent jolt which not only spread throughout the entire structure of the ferry, but was also clearly felt by residents in the area.
At the time of the collision, some people were on the stairs, already standing waiting to disembark or were heading towards their cars on the lower decks. Due to the sudden and violent blow, some passengers fell to the ground. Seven people were injured, but – apparently – slightly. Four 118 ambulances arrived on site together with a police patrol. Four were taken to the “G. Martino” Polyclinic.
As a precaution, some passengers were assisted by medical personnel, who arrived on site within a few minutes. they were assisted by the healthcare personnel who attended. The ferry remained stationary and moored to the quay and, once the necessary checks and interventions had been completed, the emergency vehicles left the area.