111 People Rescued From Burning Ship

A fishing ship caught fire off the coast of United Kingdom and France Wednesday. Authorities say 98 of the 111 crew members on The Athena were evacuated in life rafts while the remaining 30 crew members stayed behind to battle the fire. The Athena was stranded about 230 miles southwest of the Isles of Scilly.

A cargo ship in the area picked up the crew members in the rafts. The UK Coastguard coordinated the rescue of those still onboard. The fire is said to be under control and 13 people are currently on The Athena to monitor it. They are not believed in immediate danger.

The coastguard was informed of the fire around 6 a.m. Wednesday. The blaze started in the processing area of the ship.

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