BERLIN (AP) — A fire that broke out aboard an oil tanker off Germany’s Baltic Sea coast has been extinguished, authorities said Saturday. The fire did not spread to the ship’s cargo.
The maritime rescue service was alerted to the fire on board the German-flagged Annika on Friday morningand shortly afterwards took all seven crew members off the ship. Black smoke could be seen from the coast from the tanker, which was carrying about 640 tons of oil.
The fire appears to have started in the engine room or paint storage area and spread to the stern of the ship. On Friday afternoon, experts determined that the condition of the ship was stable and authorities decided to have it towed to the port city of Rostock to continue fighting the fire.
Firefighters inspected the 73-meter-long ship after it arrived in port around 1 a.m. and found the fire was out, Germany’s Central Command for Maritime Emergencies said.
