Passenger found alive on Greece-Italy ferry after blaze, 11 still missing

A passenger listed as missing after a blaze swept through a ferry sailing from Greece to Italy has been found alive by rescuers, a Greek shipping ministry official said on Sunday.

The Greek coast guard rescued 280 out of 292 passengers and crew who were onboard when the blaze broke out on the Italian-flagged Euroferry Olympic early on Friday en route from the Greek port of Igoumenitsa to the Italian port of Brindisi.

According to the ferry operator and Greek authorities, 11 passengers are still missing. They are from Bulgaria, Greece, Turkey and Lithuania.

Rescuers discovered the survivor on Sunday on the vessel’s stern as it was being towed to shore, the coast guard said.

Greek television footage showed a man climbing down a stepladder from the vessel onto a tugboat tied to it.