Cargo ship Blue Carrier 2 catches fire off Mykonos with 29 safely evacuated

Evacuation north of Mykonos

The Greek-flagged cargo roll-on/roll-off ship Blue Carrier 2 caught fire on Friday, 25 September 2026, at 08:57 while navigating waters north of Mykonos during a scheduled voyage toward Samos. The vessel was carrying 166 trucks and 29 passenger vehicles across its garage decks when alarms sounded throughout the ship. A total of 29 individuals, consisting of 28 crew members and one passenger driver, put on lifejackets and boarded lifeboats in an orderly evacuation. Hellenic Coast Guard patrol craft and nearby vessels responded to distress calls, retrieved all evacuees from the water, and transported them safely to the neighboring island of Tinos. Maritime officials confirmed that all 29 people arrived on land in good health, with no fatalities or injuries recorded. Panhellenic Union of Merchant Marine Captains and Officers President Giorgos Vallis praised the emergency response.

It is particularly important that, according to the information available so far, no death or injury has been reported.

Fire outbreak in the garage decks

The vessel was positioned roughly 4.5 nautical miles north of Mykonos and 7.5 nautical miles east of Tinos when emergency teams initiated operations. Video documentation published by merchant marine union PENEN captured thick black smoke rising from the forward decks as crew members attempted to fight the blaze before being instructed to withdraw to safety. Preliminary reports suggest the fire originated from a freight truck parked inside one of the internal garage areas, though the exact cause remains under technical investigation. The vessel operates as a key commercial cargo carrier, transporting heavy freight vehicles between the mainland and Aegean island communities.

Deployment of emergency assets and air surveillance

The Hellenic Fire Service committed four specialized marine vessels alongside aerial surveillance units to suppress the fire. Two Rafnar-class high-speed firefighting boats deployed from stations on Syros and Lavrio, joining two Hellenic Coast Guard patrol vessels and two commercial tugs already on scene. Two additional firefighting ships and two anti-pollution vessels sailed from Piraeus to reinforce containment operations around the burning hull. Aerial monitoring was conducted by a Fire Service helicopter and a Diamond 62 MPP intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance aircraft, which relayed live data feeds directly to the ESKEDIK emergency center.

Salvage coordination and environmental precautions

Hellenic Coast Guard Chief Vice Admiral Christos Kontorouchas convened a high-level operational teleconference at the Ministry of Maritime Affairs to direct containment and salvage efforts. Attica Ferries representative Dionysis Theodoratos and salvage contractor Pavlos Xiradakis attended the coordination session alongside naval and fire service commanders. Port authorities across adjacent Aegean islands placed anti-pollution equipment on standby in line with regional emergency contingency plans to prevent marine contamination. Attica Group assigned vessel stabilization and environmental mitigation measures to specialized salvage companies. The 70-meter salvage and firefighting tug Aigaion Pelagos is scheduled to reach the site at 16:00 to provide high-capacity firefighting pumps and towing support.

Following the safe evacuation of the 29 people on board the cargo roll-on/roll-off vessel Blue Carrier 2, the company has assigned specialized companies to carry out all necessary actions regarding environmental protection and the management of the vessel's condition, in cooperation with the competent authorities.