Sailors saved from boat blaze

Thirteen sailors have been rescued after being trapped on a blazing fishing boat in the early hours of Thursday, the Donghai Rescue Bureau of the Ministry of Transport said.

The bureau received a report at 2:16 am that a fire had broken out in the engine room of a boat from Zhejiang Province that was in the sea 30 nautical miles from the mouth of the Yangtze River.

The bureau dispatched a rescue vessel stationed at the mouth of the Yangtze River. Strong winds, choppy seas and darkness meant it took the rescue boat 2 hours to reach the stricken vessel, Liu Luxing, a press officer for the Donghai Rescue Bureau, said.

The fire had spread to the bridge, and had also destroyed the boat's safety equipment. The boat's power had been cut, lifting it adrift in the strong wind and in danger of sinking.

The rescue vessel approached the aft of the ship, allowing the sailors to escape danger. All the sailors were uninjured, Liu told the Global Times.

Rescuers then dropped the anchor of the fishing boat and began to extinguish the fire. The fire was finally brought under control at 7:13 am.

The cause of the fire is currently being investigated by the relevant authorities.