Survivors Describe Horrific Ordeal On Ferry

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Survivors of the Corfu ferry disaster have described the horror of being stuck on a burning ship as storms raged around them.

Hundreds of passengers and crew were forced to huddle on the top deck of the Norman Atlantic as they tried to avoid the flames and smoke rising from one of the ferry's car decks.

Italian, Greek and Albanian rescuers worked through the night to try to get to them but were sometimes forced back by high waves and fierce winds.

British showjumper Nick Channing-Williams told Sky News he was woken at about 5am by a fire alarm.

He said: "By the time we got out on deck the flames were huge. A lot of the cars were on fire. It was actually just very scary to be honest.

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Gallery: More Than 100 People Saved From Vessel Near Corfu

A firefighter carries a child from the "Spirit of Piraeus" cargo container ship as they arrive at Bari harbour, after the car ferry Norman Atlantic caught fire in waters off Greece

Passengers evacuated from the burning ferry Norman Atlantic arrive aboard the Singapore-flagged cargo container ship

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Passengers arrive on the Italian Navy's vessel San Giorgio

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Rescuers battled in the dark to save hundreds of passengers still trapped on the burning Italian ferry adrift off Albania

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A number of Britons were rescued from the ferry

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"There was only one place you could stand which was in the rain. So you spend from 5 o'clock in the morning and over the rest of the day ... and in the evening it was even worse. The ship was slipping to one side as well, which isn't the easiest situation to be in."

The 37-year-old said a photo of him taken after his rescue that appeared to show him covered in soot was actually caused by grease after he climbed down a rope to try to help a rescue tug get closer to the ferry.

He said: "We ended up climbing down the ropes to try to help the tug onto the boat. We ended up with three attempts and after the third time of the rope snapping on us that was when we gave up.

"We ended up climbing back up the rope through one of the windows of the ferry and got back up to where they were evacuating with the helicopter."

Mr Channing-Williams and his Greek fiancee, Regina Theoffilli, were separated for some time. He described their reunion in hospital as "emotional".

He admitted he had feared the worst while stuck on the ferry.

"There were moments when it was absolutely terrifying.

"When the flames are licking up around the boat and there is no sign of help, they are talking about sending a boat that is four hours away, you feel somewhat helpless."

Greek truck driver Christos Perlis, 32, said: "Our feet were burning and from the feet up we were soaked.

"Everyone there was trampling on each other to get onto the helicopter.

"First children, then women and then men. But the men, they started hitting us so they could get on first. They didn't take into consideration the women or the children, nothing."

Turkish passenger Saadet Bayhan reinforced the picture of panic, telling Turkey's NTV television: "We experienced the Titanic. The only thing missing was that we didn't sink."

A Turkish man, who gave his name only as Demir, said: "The only thing they said was 'Fire! Fire! Fire!', and we didn't know why there was a fire.

"Yes, there was a fire but there was not enough time, and there was little we could do. In five minutes the whole ship was on fire."

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