Firefighters contained a blaze that destroyed two tourist vessels at Gaios harbor, Paxoi, around 1.30 p.m. Thursday.
The fire ignited for unknown reasons in the engine of a catamaran carrying two American and two British tourists preparing to depart. The captain evacuated passengers, tried to extinguish the flames but failed, and jumped overboard.
The fire spread to an adjacent wooden day-cruise vessel. A firefighting boat from Igoumenitsa prevented further spread. Both vessels sustained heavy damage; the wooden boat was half-submerged.
