(Bloomberg) -- Italian and Greek rescue teams, battling highwinds and rough seas, struggled to evacuate passengers aboarda ferry that caught fire off the Greek island of Corfuearly today.

The Italian Navy and Coast Guard were coordinating the operationin the strait between Italy and Albania. The blaze broke out about4 a.m. aboard the Italian-flagged ferry Norman Atlantic,Greek Shipping Minister Miltiadis Varvitsiotis said in a statementon the ministry’s website. It was traveling from the Greek port ofPatras to Ancona, Italy, with 422 passengers and 56 crew membersonboard.

Italian news agency Ansa reported that one person died whiletrying to flee the boat. Italian Defense Minister Roberta Pinottisaid helicopters would continue rescue operations through thenight.

The Associated Press quoted Greek Merchant Marine spokesmanNikos Lagadianos as saying that 117 people have been transported tosafety, with eight airlifted to southern Italy and the rest takento nearby ships.

Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras was in contact with hisItalian counterpart, Matteo Renzi, the latter said in a Twitterposting earlier today.

--With assistance from Nikos Chrysoloras and Paul Tugwell inAthens.

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