Georgia offers condolences for burnt ferry
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Official Tbilisi expressed its immense condolences over the burnt ferry tragedy that caught fire off Greece's Adriatic Coast on December 28.
A Georgian citizen, the priest Ilia Kartozia was among 11 dead identified after fire cripples Greek ferry in Adriatic Sea.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) of Georgia expressed deep condolences to the families of the victims and Georgian church.
"Georgia’s foreign ministry also would like to thank the government of those countries and the relevant bodies which have contributed in the rescue operations of the ferry. Thus, has become possible to rescue 427 people, including seven Georgian citizens,” Georgia’s MFA said in a statement on December 31.
The Head of David Aghmashenebeli Monastery in Mtskheta Ilia Kartozia was traveling to a Monastery in the city of Bari with several attendants while tragedy happened.
In total, nine Georgian citizens were aboard the burnt ship, including one pregnant woman and one child. Both of them were transported to the hospital in the city of Bari, Italy.
Meanwhile, the Ministry expressed its readiness to support the family of Georgian victim in the process of transfer priest’s dead body from Italy to the homeland.
With the ferry now fully evacuated, the Italian navy has said 427 people had been rescued, leaving the total accounted for well short of the 478 originally thought to be on board.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirms that dead body found today in the Adriatic Sea was identified as the priest Ilia Kartozia, the Head of a Monastery in Mtskheta.
Five Georgian citizens are evacuated from a ferry, which caught fire near the Greek island of Corfu early this morning, but three Georgians and more than 200 passengers still remain on the burning ship.
Georgian priest Ilia Kartozia drowned helping other passengers of Italian ferry Norman Atlantic as Georgian survivor of the tragedy says.
All expenses for the transportation and funeral of father Ilia Kartozia, who died during a fire on the Italian ferry in Adriatic Sea, will be covered by Georgian state.
The President of Georgia has awarded late Archimandrite Ilia Kartozia a posthumous award for his "exemplary civil devotion, heroism and extraordinary personal bravery" after he died while trying to save others in a ferry tragedy in the Adriatic Sea last year.
Georgia’s Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili has paid tribute to late Archimandrite Ilia Kartozia, who died while trying to save others in a ferry tragedy in the Adriatic Sea last month.
A Georgian priest who died while trying to save others in a ferry tragedy in the Adriatic Sea last year has been honoured posthumously by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO).