Hydrofoil catches fire in Greek seas

No one was injured when a hydrofoil full of passengers caught fire Thursday as it was shuttling between two Greek islands.

The hydrofoil, which was traveling between Aegina and nearby Angistri, in the Saronic Gulf south of Athens, was carrying 79 passengers when one of its engines caught fire around noon (0900GMT).

The crew managed to extinguish the fire and the vessel was brought into port, where the passengers were safely evacuated.

Also Thursday, a Turkish-flagged tourist boat was stranded off the eastern Greek island of Patmos. The vessel, the "Diana For Ever," was carrying 12 French tourists along with three crew members from the nearby Turkish coastal town of Bodrum when it ran aground on an offshore reef.

Despite strong winds in the area, the passengers were safely evacuated to the island after an air force helicopter and local ships were mobilized in a rescue effort. The crew remained aboard as a coast guard vessel inspected the ship for damage.