A fire erupted aboard the 23,986-gross-ton Ro-Ro vessel Blue Carrier 2 approximately 4.5 nautical miles north of Mykonos on September 25, 2026, at around 08:57 local time. The ship was underway on its scheduled freight service when the blaze began. All 29 people on board, comprising 28 crew members and one truck driver, were evacuated and safely transferred to Tinos.
The vessel was traveling a route from Piraeus to Syros, Vathy, Kos, Rhodes, returning via Kos to Piraeus. At the time of the incident, Blue Carrier 2 carried 166 trucks and 29 private passenger vehicles. The fire took place about
7.5 nautical miles east of Tinos in Greek waters.
Emergency Response and Salvage Operations
The Hellenic Coast Guard coordinated the emergency response, deploying patrol vessels to the area. Additional firefighting vessels operated by the Fire Service, tugs, and the specialized salvage tug Aigaion Pelagos were mobilized from Piraeus to assist the firefighting effort. Attica Group, operator of Blue Carrier 2 and the parent company of Blue Star Ferries, activated onboard firefighting procedures immediately and notified the relevant authorities. They organized the evacuation using the ferry’s own arrangements, resulting in no injuries among those onboard.
The vessel was towed to a sheltered location off southwestern Tinos
where firefighting and cooling operations continued through September 27, 2026. At that time, five tugboats remained on site assisting with firefighting as active fire pockets persisted within the ship. Attica Group engaged specialized companies to conduct salvage and environmental protection efforts in cooperation with authorities, aiming to prevent marine pollution risks.
Investigation and Vessel Background
A preliminary investigation is underway with the Tinos Port Authority leading the inquiry into the fire’s cause. Initial, unconfirmed Greek maritime reports suggest the fire may have started in a truck positioned in garage No. 4 on the vehicle deck. The fire prompted the vessel to develop a list
due to water accumulating inside from firefighting operations.
Blue Carrier 2 was built in Japan in 1997 and originally named Clementine. The ship was acquired by Attica Group in 2023 and renamed in January 2024. It is flagged in Greece and offers approximately 2,307 lane metres of cargo capacity. The vessel operates under the Blue Star Ferries brand, providing domestic freight service within Greece.
