UPDATE - Hundreds rescued after fire erupts on ferry heading from Greece to Italy

UPDATES WITH NEW INFO

By Magda Panoutsopoulou

ATHENS (AA) – Hundreds of people have been rescued while 10 are still missing after a fire broke out on a ferry going from Greece to Italy early on Friday.

According to local media, an operation is underway to rescue two more passengers trapped in the garage of the boat.

There have been no reports of injuries or deaths so far, according to the Greek coast guard.

According to the official information from the Ministry of Shipping, the boat was carrying a total of 290 passengers and crew. Of these, 21 are Greeks, including 14 passengers and 7 crew members.

The Italian-flagged Euroferry Olympia set off from Greece’s western port of Igoumenitsa with 290 passengers and crew members, heading to the Italian port of Brindisi, a journey of about nine hours.

The fire, the cause of which is yet to be ascertained, erupted near the island of Corfu in the Ionian Sea.

The rescued passengers were transferred to Corfu, while one passenger with a breathing problem was taken to a hospital, according to the latest information from the coast guard.

Several coast guard vessels and firefighting boats are currently engaged in the rescue operation.