Up to 345 passengers rescued from Norman Atlantic ferry

Greece’s Public Order Minister Vassilis Kikilias could not confirm claims made by a passenger rescued from the stranded Norman Atlantic ferry that four people had died on the vessel.
One death, of a Greek man who lived in Zurich, has been confirmed but Kikilias said that authorities in Greece and Italy were looking into claims that more people had died on the ferry, which caught fire early on Sunday while sailing between Patra and Ancona.
As of around 11.30 a.m. in Greece, 345 of almost 500 passengers and crew on board the Italian-flagged ferry that was hired by Greece’s ANEK lines hade been rescued. Another 132 people were on board the ship.
Italian and Greek helicopter crews were continuing to airlift passengers from the distressed ship.