Greek ferry fire leaves a dozen missing, two trapped aboard

Feb. 18 (UPI) -- Greek rescuers were scrambling to save two people trapped aboard a ferry and locate at least a dozen others that were missing hours after it caught fire Friday morning off the coast of the island Corfu.

At least four lifeboats carried nearly 300 people who were rescued from the ferry, and authorities worked to determine who is missing from the ship's passenger list.

"There are unconfirmed reports of missing people although the Italian captain of the ship claims everyone has disembarked," local MP Stefanos Ghikas said, according to The Guardian.

Corfu authorities said that at least 279 passengers and crew have been accounted for and identified.

Around 4 a.m. local time, the Italian ship Euroferry Olympia caught fire while en route to Brindisi.

At least two people are trapped in the ship's garage, authorities confirmed. Efforts to lead them to the deck and airlift them away are underway, but thick smoke from the fire is causing delays.

Three coast guard vessels and Hellenic navy ships were on scene by midday.

The ferry set sail with 239 passengers, 51 crew, 25 vehicles and 153 trucks on board. A fire broke out two hours after it left port.

Residents on Corfu were reported to have heard explosions and see large plumes of smoke engulfing the ferry.

Though the cause of the fire is unknown, a spokesperson with Grimaldi Lines said it was likely the fire started in the ship's hold.

The crew immediately intervened, and the captain decided to abandon the ship.

"The Grimaldi group wishes to express its deep regret for the incident and will offer full cooperation to the authorities to shed light on the cause of the fire," spokesperson Paul Kyprianou told The Guardian.