MS Norman Atlantic

A passenger believed to be missing after a fire broke out on an Italian ferry off the Greek island of Corfu is alive and well, evacuated, the Coast Guard said today, quoted by AFP and Reuters.

The man was found in the back of the ship after coming into contact with rescuers, Greek authorities said.

According to AFP, he is 21 years old and said he is from Belarus.

A fire broke out this morning on a ferry carrying 288 people on board, sailing from Greece to Italy, the Greek Coast Guard said, world news agencies and Greek media reported.

The ship "Euroferi Olympia" sailed from the Greek port of Igoumenitsa to the Italian city of Brindisi. The fire broke out off the island of Corfu in the Ionian Sea.

The Piraeus Court of First Instance found five people guilty on Wednesday in the criminal trial of 11 Greek nationals over the deadly fire that broke out on one of the garage decks of the Italian-flagged Norman Atlantic passenger ferry on December 28, 2014.

The criminal trial of 11 Greek nationals over the deadly fire that broke out inside the Norman Atlantic passenger ferry five years ago will start on April 9, with the accused facing charges of manslaughter and negligent arson, according to the Greek indictment seen by Kathimerini.

The bodies of 25 people killed in a ship fire off the coast of California were found. Authorities are still searching for nine more passengers, who are reported missing.

Earlier, it was reported that rescuers had found the bodies of eight people. The Conception vessel was supposed to depart for an excursion to scenic areas where tourists would dive.

Crew members abandoned their posts, fire emergency plans were mistakenly activated for Deck 3 instead of Deck 4 where the blaze had broken out, and a lifeboat was released into the sea before the evacuation order had been issued or any safety measures taken.

Turkish Coast Guard teams rescued six crew members on a Russian cargo ship on Nov. 21 after the vessel issued an emergency call off the Black Sea coast.

A series of safety violations were to blame for a deadly fire on the Norman Atlantic ferry boat on December 28, 2014, which claimed at least 11 lives as it was headed from Greece to Italy, experts have concluded.

The story of a Syrian family fleeing war who lost a 6-year-old son in the Norman Atlantic ferry disaster in 2014.

Two years after the fire at the Norman Atlantic ferry, survivors cannot forget the flames.

Reporting: Yiannis Papadopoulos/ Camera: Enri Canaj/ Video editing: Gogo Bebelou