One missing in ferry fire off northern Japan coast

One crew member remains missing after a passenger ferry caught fire off the coast of the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido on Friday. The other 93 passengers and crew got to safety in life rafts which were picked up by nearby ferries and commercial ships, as well as coast guard vessels. Japanese media reported the fire started on a truck on a lower cargo deck of the ferry on Friday afternoon nearly 55 kilometers from its port destination of Tomakomai. The missing crew member is believed to have stayed behind to deal with the fire, local media said. The boat was a regular passenger and car ferry travelling from Owara port in Ibaraki, near Tokyo and was heading for Tomakomai , in Hokkaido when the accident happened. It was a popular service with long distance truck drivers, local media reported.