Georgia offers condolences for burnt ferry

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.