The Italian Coastguard yesterday said a ferry heading to the French island of Corsica ran aground as it maneuvered out of a port in Sardinia, but nobody onboard was injured as a result.
Sardinia, a large island in the Mediterranean Sea, has nearly 2,000km of coastline, sandy beaches and a mountainous interior popular for hiking.
The ferry operated by Italian company Moby set off from Santa Teresa di Gallura, on the northern tip of Sardinia, and was due to sail across to Bonifacio.
The coastguard said that at around 10.15 am (0815 GMT) it hit a reef and got stuck.
Two Guardia Costiera vessels rushed to the scene and evacuated 67 passengers, who were all in good health.
Meanwhile, two more passengers and lorry drivers who had their vehicles on the deck stayed aboard to help the ferry’s 12-strong crew.
They reporting that there was no evidence of any oil spills or other environmental damage,
The coastguard said a tug boat was due to free up the ferry, while they were investigating the cause of the accident.
Report says over the last five years, there have been two serious accidents off the Italian coast involving large passenger ships.
In January 2012, 32 people died after the Costa Concordia cruise liner partly capsized off the island of Giglio.
In December 2014, a fire on the Norman Atlantic ferry on the way from Greece to Italy killed no fewer than 11 people. However, the coastguard noted that 18 passengers were still missing.
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