Death toll in Greek ferry fire rises to 8

Manifest lists 478 passengers and crew but officials say there may have been additional illegal travelers

BARI, Italy — Italian authorities say the death toll in the Greek ferry fire has risen to eight, and that they are checking to see if anyone else might still be missing.

Italy’s transport minister, Maurizio Lupi, said 427 people have been rescued, including 56 crew members.

The original manifest listed 478 passengers and crew.

Lupi said it was premature to speculate on whether people were still missing, but suggested that there might have been some people who reserved a spot on the ferry but did not board.

He said they were checking the manifest against the names of the 427 rescued.

An official said that among the survivors, there were also people not listed on the manifest, indicating the possibility that some on board were traveling illegally.