Greek tourist ship runs aground

Greek authorities have evacuated a ship carrying 313 people, mostly foreign tourists, which ran aground near the island of Poros, south of Athens.

Helicopters, a military transport plane and coastguard vessels were involved in rescuing those on board the Giorgis, which hit a reef in the Saronic Gulf. The merchant marine ministry said there had been no reports of any injuries. The ship ran aground during a cruise from the port of Piraeus to the nearby islands of Aegina, Poros and Hydra. The mayor of Poros, Dimitris Stratigos, said the Greek-flagged vessel was stranded in an inlet about three nautical miles (5.5km) from the island's port. After the Giorgis began to take on large amounts of water, an operation to evacuate the passengers and crew was launched by the coast guard and the local authorities, he added. "The evacuation is finished and we are making the final checks to make sure everyone is safe," an official from the merchant marine ministry later told the Reuters news agency. There were reportedly 103 Japanese, 58 Americans and 56 Russians, and around 30 Britons aboard, among others. There were also 35 crew.

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