Italian ferry fire: Over 160 still awaiting rescue

London, Dec 29: Though 316 passengers were rescued from an Italian-flagged ferry carrying 478 people that on Sunday caught fire off the Greek island of Corfu, more than 160 people are still awaiting rescue.

Helicopter crews have been winching small groups of people to safety despite gale-force winds, BBC reported.

Greek officials said 316 of the 478 people on board were evacuated by early Monday.

One person died trying to escape from the ship. The fire reportedly broke out on a car deck before dawn Sunday.

The ferry, "Norman Atlantic", travelling from Patras in Greece to Ancona in Italy, sent out a distress signal while sailing in international waters in the Adriatic Sea, when the crew realised that they could not put out the fire that had started in one of the ship's holds.

Passengers described panicking as the heat rose, and then freezing as they stood on decks awaiting rescue.

IANS