ATHENS, Greece — A ferry carrying about 470 people caught fire off the Greek island of Corfu early Sunday, trapping passengers on the top decks as gale-force winds and choppy seas hampered the evacuation.
Greek and Italian rescue helicopters and vessels struggled to reach the stricken ferry, battered by 55 mph winds that sent it up toward the strait between Italy and Albania. Nearby, merchant ships lined up to form a barrier to protect the ferry and facilitate rescue, said Italian Navy Capt. Riccardo Rizzotto.
The fire broke out on the car deck of the Italian-flagged Norman Atlantic, traveling from the Greek port of Patras to Ancona, Italy, with 422 passengers and 56 crew members on board. No one has been reported injured, and 117 people have been transported to safety — eight airlifted to southern Italy and the rest taken to nearby ships, said Greek Merchant Marine spokesman Nikos Lagadianos.
Passengers stranded on a high deck told Greek media that lifeboats from surrounding vessels had been unable to take them off due to the high seas.
"The fire is still burning," Greek passenger Sofoklis Styliaras told private Mega television. "On the lower deck, where the lifeboats are, our shoes were starting to melt from the heat. ... There's nowhere else for us to go. It's impossible to walk on the lower deck because of the heat."
The ship was packed with holidaymakers and truck drivers making the popular transport run between Greece and Italy. Of those on board, 234 passengers and 34 crew were Greek and the rest of various unspecified nationalities, said Lagadianos.