Hundreds of people have been evacuated from the Olympia fire off the coast of Corfu in Greece.

290 passengers were evacuated by Greek and Italian boats when a ferry caught fire near Corfu in the Ionian Sea.

The Euroferry Olympia had just departed Igoumenitsa, Greece, and was on its way to Brindisi, Italy, when a fire broke out on one of the decks.

The skipper ordered passengers and personnel to disembark, and video showed the boat in flames.

According to unconfirmed accounts, ten persons are still missing.

Ionian Islands Governor Rodi Kratsa-Tsagaropoulou informed the ANA-MPA news agency that the vessel was mostly transporting Italians.

The ferry, owned by the Italian company Grimaldi Lines, was carrying 239 passengers and 51 staff members, according to the Greek coastguard. However, not everyone who entered the lifeboats was confirmed.

Officials in Corfu were still waiting for a complete count, despite indications that two persons were stranded on the vehicle deck and were being rescued.

Before being picked up by ships in the region, passengers boarded lifeboats near the island of Ereikousa. According to reports, a passing Italian coastguard was the first on the scene.

In Corfu, one passenger was rushed to the hospital with breathing problems.

Another passenger informed Greek media that when the alarm went off, some people were sleeping in their cars.