Passenger found alive on ferry ablaze off Greece, 11 still missing

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.

Authorities initially gave the missing as seven from Bulgaria, three from Greece, one from Turkey and one from Lithuania.
AP

Authorities initially gave the missing as seven from Bulgaria, three from Greece, one from Turkey and one from Lithuania.

A passenger was found alive on a ferry that has been ablaze off Greece for three days.

Rescuers spotted the man on Sunday on the sticken vessel's stern as it was being towed to port, Greek coastguards said. 

"Tell me I'm alive," the 21-year-old truck driver who said he was from Belarus, told rescuers, according to the Proto Thema news website.

The man was one of the 12 truck drivers who were missing following the blaze, the coastguards said.

Clad in tan shorts and a black t-shirt he climbed down a ladder into a rescue boat, according to images from the Iefimerida news website.

He appeared to be in good physical condition, according to the Athens news agency.

READ MORE: Search continues for people missing in Greece ferry fire

The fire broke out on the Italian-flagged Euroferry Olympia late on Thursday as it sailed from Igoumenitsa in Greece to Brindisi in Italy, with nearly 300 people aboard.

Rescuers managed to save 280 passengers on Friday, evacuating them to Corfu, but 12 lorry drivers remained missing.

Authorities initially gave the missing as seven from Bulgaria, three from Greece, one from Türkiye and one from Lithuania.

On Sunday, they said that there was an error and the missing Lithuanian was actually the man saved, who was from Belarus.

READ MORE: Turkish national among missing people in fire outbreak on ferry

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