ferry carrying almost 500 catches fire while sailing from Greece to Italy.

Rescue mission launched after ferry carrying almost 500 catches fire

A rescue operation has been launched after a ferry carrying almost 500 people caught fire while sailing from Greece to Italy.

Passengers aboard the Norman Atlantic reportedly rung a television station begging for help after the fire broke out close to the island of Corfu.

A Greek government official said the rescue mission was "one of the most complicated operations ever" because of the difficult conditions.

It is still unclear whether there have been any casualties and how many passengers have been rescued.

Smokes rises from ferry with hundreds still trapped

Television pictures show smoke rising from a ferry off the coast of Greece where hundreds of passengers remain trapped.

Smoke can be seen rising from the Norman Atlantic. Credit: Rai News

The Greek coastguard said 150 people had been rescued from the Norman Atlantic which was carrying almost 500 people.

A journalist who was aboard a nearby cruise ship reported seeing passengers on the upper deck of the stricken ferry clinging to the railings as they waited to be rescued.

Earlier, a Greek government minister said difficult weather conditions were hampering the rescue efforts.

• WORLD
•  GREECE
•  ITALY

Ferry passengers ring TV passengers 'begging for help'

Passengers aboard a ferry that caught fire rung a Greek television station begging for help, according to reports.

Nikos Papatheodosiou telephoned a station claiming that passengers "are burning and sinking" before hanging up.

We are burning and sinking, no one can save us.

Please help us! Don't leave us.

– FERRY PASSENGER

• WORLD
•  GREECE
•  ITALY

Rescue vessels 'struggle to approach burning ferry'

Rescue crews are struggling to approach a burning ferry carrying almost 500 people off the coast of Greece due to strong winds and rough seas.

Local television pictures showed rescue crews battling against the conditions to reach passengers. Credit: EBU

The Norman Atlantic was close to the island of Corfu when it sent a distress signal after a blaze broke out.

Greek government minister Miltiadis Varvitsiotis said there were 478 passengers and crew aboard, more than the 466 originally reported.

Mr Varvitsiotis said 35 passengers had been transported in a lifeboat to a nearby Greek ferry so far.

He claimed the rescue mission was "one of the most complicated operations that we have ever done" with strong winds, heavy seas and cold temperatures hampering efforts.

• WORLD
•  GREECE
•  ITALY

Ferry carrying almost 500 people catches fire

A ferry carrying almost 500 passengers has been evacuated in dangerously high winds after it caught fire while sailing from Greece to Italy.

The ferry was travelling from the Greek port of Patras to Ancona, Italy when it caught fire. Credit: EBU

The captain of the Norman Atlantic reportedly ordered the evacuation after a blaze broke out on the car deck as it travelled from the Greek port of Patras to Ancona, Italy.

Nearby ships have been ordered to take the 466 passengers and crew members from the ferry, Greece's merchant marine minister Miltiadis Varvitsiotis said.

It is unclear whether there have been any casualties.