Italian Coast Guard Rescues 177 People After Ferry Catches Fire

The Italian Coast Guard announced on Saturday that it rescued 177 people, including 27 crew members, from a ferry that caught fire while sailing from the Italian island of Lampedusa to Porto Empedocle in Sicily. In a statement, the Coast Guard said: "All passengers were transferred to a Coast Guard vessel and are on their way to Porto Empedocle, except for three who returned to Lampedusa." During the rescue operation, the Coast Guard used water hoses to cool the damaged parts of the ferry due to the fire, which broke out in the engine room late Friday night.