Cruise ship catches fire in Greece, sending plumes of black smoke into air

ATHENS, Greece - Video posted on social media captured the moment a fire broke out on a cruise ship in Greece on Friday, sending plumes of black smoke billowing into the air. 

Spiros Thimis posted a video of the incident on Facebook that shows a massive smoke cloud rising from the ship, the MSC Lirica.

The ship was moored at the Corfu Port Authority, located in Kerkyra, Greece.

The fire started on a fiberglass lifeboat before 3:42 p.m. local time. a spokesperson for MSC Cruises told FOX News. The spokesperson added that the cause of the fire is not immediately known and an investigation is currently underway. 

It took firefighters about three hours to get the fire under control. Efforts to extinguish the blaze were declared completed at 6:58 p.m. local time, according to the cruise line.

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A preliminary assessment showed damage to the side of the ship but not inside, the MSC spokesperson said.

The Lirica had been scheduled to sail the Mediterranean, according to the company website.

FOX News contributed to this story.