Italy evacuates burning car ferry

The cause of the fire on board the Vincenzo Florio is not yet known

About 500 passengers on board an Italian car ferry were evacuated in lifeboats after a fire broke out in the vessel's hold, officials have said.

The Vincenzo Florio, travelling from the southern city of Naples to Palermo, was about 40km (25 miles) from the Sicilian port when the blaze started.The passengers used the lifeboats to reach another ferry and a coastguard ship which had come to the rescue.Five passengers, including a pregnant woman, have been taken to hospital."They knocked on the door of the cabin and told us to get on deck," passenger Stefano Friscia told Italy's Sky television afterwards."It was hard to breathe, the whole ship filled with smoke and they ordered the lifeboats lowered," he added.of the ferry's 35 crew stayed on board to help extinguish the fire. The cause of the blaze is still being investigated.The ship is being towed to Palermo and is due to dock later on Friday