Hundreds evacuated in ferry fire near Puerto Rico

UP to 500 passengers have been evacuated from a ferry off Puerto Rico after a fire erupted in the engine room.

UP to 500 passengers have been rescued from a burning cruise ship off the US territory of Puerto Rico, authorities said.

The captain and crew of the Caribbean Fantasy, a passenger and cargo ferry belonging to America Cruise Ferries, remained on board the vessel despite an active engine room fire, Puerto Rico’s fire chief Angel Crespo said.

Crespo said no fatalities had been reported and passengers were taken to safety in San Juan on Wednesday.

“The fire reportedly began in the engine room of the ship and is spreading to other compartments on board,” the US Coast Guard said in a statement.

Smoke billows from the Caribbean Fantasy off the coast of San Juan, Puerto Rico. Picture: AP Photo/Carlos Giusti

The Coast Guard said multiple and air and surface craft were dispatched to rescue passengers, including a coast guard cutter. Fire, pilot and tug boats also responded from the port, it said.

“At this stage the priority is attending to the people,” Crespo said, adding that there were only preliminary reports about their medical condition.

“There is probably dehydration and nervous shock, but we can confirm that nearly 500 people are all on the way to port,” he said.

AHORA: Agentes de FURA atienden emergencia en crucero American CruIse Ferries en costas de SJ pic.twitter.com/ctVLncGL95

— Policía Puerto Rico (@PRPDNoticias) August 17, 2016

AHORA: Helicóptero de FURA sobrevuela crucero de America Cruise Ferries donde hay aprox. 512 personas. pic.twitter.com/nMpgzJOZK6

— Policía Puerto Rico (@PRPDNoticias) August 17, 2016

Crespo, who also heads Puerto Rico’s disaster management agency, said the fire has been contained in the engine room but was not yet out. The cause of the fire was not immediately known.

Puerto Rican authorities tweeted pictures showing smoke rising from the stricken vessel.

A video, apparently shot by someone on board, shows passengers and crew in life jackets waiting on the ship.

Reportan “Fuego" en el Ferry ruta #SantoDomingo #PuertoRico dicen que el Barco está Próximo al Muelle de San Juan pic.twitter.com/JEIBpehc6D

— Félix (@fsvtelemin) August 17, 2016

The Panamanian-flagged vessel was two nautical miles north of San Juan when the fire was reported to the Coast Guard, at about 7.42am Wednesday local time.

It was carrying 512 people, including crew, bound for the Dominican Republic, the Coast Guard said.