Story highlights Number rescued climbs to 201; there are 276 still on board

At least one person is dead after jumping off Norman Atlantic ferry

The Norman Atlantic was carrying almost 500 people and more than 200 vehicles

Heavy winds and rough waters hindered rescue efforts

One man died trying to escape a burning ferry in the Adriatic Sea on Sunday afternoon, and hundreds more were awaiting rescue as night fell on the beleaguered vessel.

Rescue crews worked into the night to airlift passengers by helicopter from the Italian-flagged Norman Atlantic, which caught on fire Sunday morning off the coast of Greece.

In the early hours of Monday morning, the Italian Coast Guard confirmed that 201 people had been rescued. It's believed 276 are still on board the burning vessel.

The fire has been contained, but smoke and weather conditions hindered extracting passengers in metal baskets from the ferry. They are being transported to merchant ships and an Italian Navy transport dock, from where they will eventually continue on to the Italian port of Brindisi or hospitals.

Passengers suffering from smoke inhalation and hypothermia will be brought to hospitals in southern Italy, the Italian Coast Guard said.

Photos: Ferry catches fire between Greece, Italy Photos: Ferry catches fire between Greece, Italy Ferry catches fire between Greece, Italy – A passenger of the Norman Atlantic is carried on a stretcher in Bari harbor in Italy on Monday, December 29. The ferry, carrying hundreds of passengers, caught fire early Sunday, trapping passengers on the top decks as gale-force winds and choppy seas hampered the evacuation. Hide Caption 1 of 12 Photos: Ferry catches fire between Greece, Italy Ferry catches fire between Greece, Italy – Survivors of the ferry fire are helped by rescuers as they disembark from a rescue ship in the Bari harbor in Italy on December 29. Hide Caption 2 of 12 Photos: Ferry catches fire between Greece, Italy Ferry catches fire between Greece, Italy – Passengers eat after their arrival at the airport of Corfu island in Greece on December 29. Hide Caption 3 of 12 Photos: Ferry catches fire between Greece, Italy Ferry catches fire between Greece, Italy – Smoke billows from the Norman Atlantic in the Adriatic Sea on Sunday, December 28, In this image released by the Italian Navy. Hide Caption 4 of 12 Photos: Ferry catches fire between Greece, Italy Ferry catches fire between Greece Italy – Smoke rises from the Norman Atlantic ferry. Hide Caption 5 of 12 Photos: Ferry catches fire between Greece, Italy Ferry catches fire between Greece, Italy – Smoke billows from the Norman Atlantic in the Adriatic Sea on December 28, in this image taken from a video released by the Italian Coast Guard. Hide Caption 6 of 12 Photos: Ferry catches fire between Greece, Italy Ferry catches fire between Greece Italy – An Italian Navy helicopter and a rescue unit leave the port of Brindisi to take part in the rescue operations. Hide Caption 7 of 12 Photos: Ferry catches fire between Greece, Italy Ferry catches fire between Greece, Italy – Passengers wait to be rescued from the burning ferry. Hide Caption 8 of 12 Photos: Ferry catches fire between Greece, Italy Ferry catches fire between Greece Italy – An Italian Navy rescue unit leaves the port of Brindisi. A joint Italian-Greek rescue operation will continue into Sunday night according to the Italian Minister of Defense, Roberta Pinotti. Hide Caption 9 of 12 Photos: Ferry catches fire between Greece, Italy Ferry catches fire between Greece Italy – Smoke billows from the ferry. It was heading from Igoumenitsa, Greece, to Ancona, Italy. Hide Caption 10 of 12 Photos: Ferry catches fire between Greece, Italy Ferry catches fire between Greece Italy – Greece's Coast Guard spokesman Nikolaos Lagadianos delivers a statement concerning the fire to the media in Piraeus port. Hide Caption 11 of 12 Photos: Ferry catches fire between Greece, Italy Ferry catches fire between Greece Italy – The fire is believed to have started in the garage area shortly after the ship set sail. Hide Caption 12 of 12

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With rescue efforts under way, the focus of Italian and Greek media is shifting to the cause of the blaze, which is believed to have started in the ship's parking bay. At least one truck driver told the Greek news media that trucks filled with oil were "packed like sardines," cargo scraping the ceiling, which could have set off sparks in rough seas to start a fire, he surmised.

Those remaining on board awaited rescue on the upper deck -- "dying of cold and suffocating from the smoke" even as their feet were "burning" from the fire's heat, said a Greek passenger who called Italy's state broadcaster RAI TV.

The disaster made national headlines in Greece, Italy and other countries with citizens aboard the ferry. In a Sunday morning public address, Pope Francis offered "affection and prayers" to those affected by the Norman Atlantic ferry fire as well as a collision in the Adriatic Sea between two merchant ships.

Thick clouds of smoke enveloped the vessel earlier Sunday as rescuers awaited an opportunity to approach. At least eight ships were deployed, but heavy winds and freezing waters kept them at bay, making evacuation by air the only feasible option.

Turkish diplomatic personnel are heading to Igoumenitsa, the likely port for evacuated passengers, according to a Turkish Foreign Ministry statement. Turkish citizens were among the passengers, with Greeks and Italians making up the majority.