Hundreds of people were rescued from a ferry that caught fire between Greece and Italy in the early hours of Friday

Rescue crews have reached a ferry that caught fire while sailing from Igoumenitsa, the largest port in western Greece, and was headed to the Italian port of Brindisi.

The journey, which would have been some nine hours, was cut short when a blaze tore through the vessel, causing an emergency response.

A video uploaded on Greek news website Proto Thema showed the 183-metre ferry engulfed in flames and huge plumes of smoke. “May Day” was blasting from speakers.

Greece coastguard said 239 passengers and 51 crew members were on board the Italian-flagged Euroferry Olympia and most of them had boarded rescue vessels transferring them to the port of the island of Corfu.

There were no immediate reports of deaths or severe injuries

According to the Athens News Agency, one person with breathing problems had been taken to the hospital,

Earlier:

According to news outlet AFP, Greek Port police say a fire has broken out on board the ship and emergency procedures are now underway.

The cruise ship is understood to be an Italian-flagged cruise vessel with 237 passengers and 51 crew members onboard.

It caught fire when sailing through the Mediterranean’s Ionian Sea, according to local media.