1 found dead, 10 still missing on burning ferry near Greece

By Magda Panoutsopoulou

ATHENS (AA) - One person was found dead on Sunday on a ship that has been burning for three days between Greece and Italy, according to local media.

Ten passengers remain missing on the Italian-flagged Euroferry Olympia, including one Turkish national, since the ship caught fire early on Friday, reported the Athens Macedonian News Agency (AMNA), citing officials.

Earlier on Sunday a 21-year-old Belarusian was found alive by the coast guard on the stern of the ship. The man was later transferred to a hospital on the Greek island of Corfu.

Also, diplomat Erdem Kutlu from the Turkish Consulate General in Athens said 26 Turkish citizens, including 23 truck drivers, were rescued from the ferry and placed in hotels on the island of Corfu.

So far, around 279 passengers have been rescued from the ferry which has been towed to the port of Corfu.

Efforts are ongoing to locate the rest of the missing passengers.

The fire, whose cause is so far unknown, erupted near the island of Corfu.

It had set off from Greece's western port of Igoumenitsa with 290 passengers and crew members, heading for the Italian port of Brindisi, a journey of about nine hours.