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Ferry fire: UK passengers phone families from stricken boat Ferry fire: Families of UK passengers in anxious wait
(about 1 hour later)
British families are anxiously waiting for news after relatives were caught on board a ferry fire near Greece. British families are waiting for news after relatives were caught on board a ferry which caught fire near Greece.
A British family of four and an engaged couple were on the Norman Atlantic, which was travelling from Greece to Italy, when it caught fire. A British family of four and an engaged couple were on the Norman Atlantic, which was travelling from Greece to Italy, when fire broke out.
Dotty Channing-Williams from Berkshire last spoke to her son Nick, 37, when he contacted her on Sunday morning. Dottie Channing-Williams, from Berkshire, said her son Nick, 37, was still awaiting rescue.
Susan Daltas said her son-in-law was on board when he rang her but her daughter and two grandchildren had been rescued. Susan Daltas said her daughter and two grandchildren had been rescued but that her son-in-law remained on board.
The Norman Atlantic was travelling from Patras, in Greece, to Ancona, in Italy, when a fire broke out on its car deck. The Italian car ferry was travelling from Patras, in Greece, to Ancona, in Italy with 422 passengers and 56 crew members on board when a fire broke out on its car deck, north-west of Corfu.
Ships and helicopters are taking part in a major rescue operation after an Italian ferry carrying 478 people caught fire north-west of Corfu. Ships and helicopters are taking part in a major rescue operation and the Italian Navy said 221 people on board had been rescued by early on Monday.
The Italian Navy has said 221 people on board had been rescued by early on Monday. One person has died after jumping from the ship and another has been injured, officials said.
One person has died after jumping from the ship and another has been confirmed injured, officials say. Mrs Daltas, who lives in Corfu, said four members of her family had been on the stricken boat. She told BBC Breakfast she believed that women and children had been taken off first.
Mrs Daltas, who lives in Corfu, said she had managed to speak to her daughter on Sunday morning. Her son-in-law, Marcus, spoke to Mrs Daltas from the ferry on Sunday evening after her daughter, Mia, and her two granddaughters had been airlifted to safety.
She told the BBC that she had since spoken to her son-in-law, Marcus, who was still on board the boat. He told Mrs Daltas that her daughter, Mia, and her two granddaughters had been airlifted to safety.
Her youngest granddaughter had been taken to hospital in the city of Brindisi, in southern Italy, Mrs Dalta said.Her youngest granddaughter had been taken to hospital in the city of Brindisi, in southern Italy, Mrs Dalta said.
"She was suffering from hypothermia because they didn't even manage to get a coat out of the cabin before they had to go on deck, but apparently she's now sleeping. "She was suffering from hypothermia because they didn't even manage to get a coat out of the cabin before they had to go on deck," she said.
"But she's on her own, the other two haven't got there yet. They're somewhere on a boat, going towards Brindisi," she added. The girl's mother and sister were on one of the rescue boats, said Mrs Daltas.
However, Mrs Daltas said she was now unable to contact her daughter. Her son-in-law was not able to tell her much about conditions on board, other than to say it was "cold and wet" and that he wanted to be reunited with his family.
'Freezing cold' Mr Channing-Williams, who lives in Greece, is a competitive show jumper and trains young riders.
Mr Channing-Williams, who lives in Greece, is a competitive show jumper and trains young riders. He was on the boat with his 33-year-old fiancee Regina Theoffili. He was on the boat with his 33-year-old fiancee Regina Theoffili, who has now been rescued and taken to hospital.
His mother said: "It's hard, because I haven't heard anything for a long time now. His mother said: "We are, of course, pleased that Regina is off (the boat), but we can't get any information. We have been up the whole night trying to phone people and trying to find out exactly what is happening.
"They have cut communications because it was hampering the rescue operation." "I had told people they had both been airlifted and were fine and now that's not the case.
She said she had last spoken to her son at 11:00 GMT. "A lot of what we're hearing is hearsay, we don't really know. I'm hopeful the wait for good news won't be too much longer."
"I told him it's just so difficult because there's no information. And he said, 'It's far more difficult here, because we've been on the top deck in the freezing cold and rain and thunder and lightning.'" Thunder and lightning
Mrs Channing-Williams said her son had initially called her in the early hours but told her he had dialled her number by mistake. Mrs Channing-Williams told BBC Breakfast the wait was "just a rollercoaster, up and down".
She added: "But as soon as I got up and saw the television news this morning, which was early, I knew. I knew straight away. I knew that he was on that ferry. "I just hope and pray they all get off soon because it's very difficult for families," she said. "My daughters have been up all night with me just trying to find out a bit of news."
"I know that he was in touch with the people in Greece and he said to them, 'Please don't tell my mum, because she'll be so worried.' And then he called me to let me know that he's okay." Mrs Channing-Williams said her son had been intending to spend New Year's Eve with her later this week and added: "I just hope they're both going to be okay and we can put this behind us."
She said she spoke to her son on Sunday morning.
"I told him it's just so difficult because there's no information. And he said, 'it's far more difficult here, because we've been on the top deck in the freezing cold and rain and thunder and lightning.'"
British Ambassador to Greece John Kittmer said the embassy was in "close contact" with the Greek authorities and was urgently seeking more information".British Ambassador to Greece John Kittmer said the embassy was in "close contact" with the Greek authorities and was urgently seeking more information".
A Foreign Office spokeswoman said: "A number of British nationals were on board. We believe some have now been rescued, but the rescue operation is ongoing."