A powerful fire tore through the Greek-flagged Ro-Ro ferry Blue Carrier 2 on Friday morning as it sailed north of Mykonos, forcing all 29 people on board to abandon ship. Flames were first spotted around 8:57 a.m. local time, with initial reports pointing to a truck parked in one of the vessel's garages as the likely source before the blaze spread rapidly through the vehicle deck. The ship, operated by Blue Star Ferries and en route from Piraeus to Samos, was loaded with 166 trucks and 29 cars at the time, and footage captured from a nearby rescue vessel showed thick black smoke and intense flames pouring from the hull as crew members in life vests watched from the deck. All 28 crew members and the one truck driver aboard were safely evacuated into lifeboats and later transferred to Tinos, with the ferry's operator confirming everyone was in good health and no injuries were reported.

Greek authorities launched a large emergency response to the scene, deploying coast guard patrol boats, fire boats, and tugs to battle the blaze and prevent any environmental damage from the burning vessel. The Hellenic Coast Guard coordinated the evacuation alongside nearby commercial ships that answered the distress call, a reminder of just how quickly other vessels in the busy Aegean shipping lanes can be mobilized in an emergency. Weather conditions at the time were relatively calm, with winds around four on the Beaufort scale, which likely helped crews manage the fire without it spreading further out of control. The exact cause remains under investigation, but the incident adds to a string of onboard fires that have periodically struck Greece's aging Ro-Ro ferry fleet, renewing scrutiny over vehicle deck safety on ships that routinely carry hundreds of trucks and cars between the mainland and the islands.