The GNV Azzurra ship will cast off from the ASI dock in Porto Torres this afternoon, towed by an Italian Navy ocean-going tugboat to the port of Genoa, where it will be transferred to a shipyard for repairs and major structural restoration.

Last Friday, the ferry, part of the Grandi Navi Veloci fleet , was affected by a fire that broke out in the engine room at 8.30 pm, 40 miles from the port of Turritano. The flames caused the failure of two of the four active engines, damaging the electrical system and other on-board systems.

"We have completed all the stages of gathering and documenting testimonies from crew members and the captain," explains the commander of the Port Authority, Frigate Captain Mirko Orrù, "and after a further onboard inspection by Coast Guard inspectors and firefighters, we no longer need to detain the vessel in port. The ship has been authorized, as requested by the shipowner, to be transferred to the port of Genoa where repairs will be carried out."

The damaged components will be replaced, and before sailing again, the vessel will have to pass stringent checks by classification societies to re-obtain safety certification . The Coast Guard, having gathered all the evidence as part of the administrative investigation, has so far ruled out criminal liability, which should be reported to the Sassari Prosecutor's Office.

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