Shawdesh desk:

Twelve people were missing and two remained trapped after an Italian-flagged ferry caught fire overnight on the Ionian Sea, Greek officials said, as emergency crews raced against the clock to put out the blaze and locate survivors before dark.

Divers were being brought in to widen the search for those missing, the Greek coastguard said, after 278 people had been rescued and taken to the island of Corfu following the blaze on the Euroferry Olympia en route from Greece to Italy.

The fire was still burning on Friday afternoon hours after it first broke out off the island of Ereikousa between Greece and Albania.

Officials said the cause remained unknown.”An operation to locate 12 missing passengers is ongoing,” the Greek coastguard said in a statement.

Nine of those missing are from Bulgaria.

Grimaldi Lines said the vessel was officially carrying 239 passengers and 51 crew as well as 153 trucks and trailers and 32 passenger vehicles.