Eighty people were safely rescued after a passenger ferry suffered water ingress in the Gulf of Trieste off Italy's Adriatic coast on Wednesday, June 12. The incident on the vessel identified by the name Audace occurred in the eastern portion of the gulf at around midday (local time) on Wednesday.
The Italian Coast Guard and numerous partner agencies deployed vessels to the area to evacuate the passengers and crew, who had managed to get into liferafts as the ferry's bow started to submerge. Officials confirmed that there were no serious injuries and that all 76 passengers and four crewmembers have been accounted for, though six people have been brought to hospital.
The vessel continues to stay afloat four nautical miles off the coast. Authorities have not provided details on the probable cause of the incident.
Reports stated that the ferry was completed and delivered in 2023. It has since been providing commuter services between Trieste and Grado.