A rescue effort has been launched to save 19 people on board a cargo ship after it exploded in the North Sea.
The Victoria L was sailing off the Dutch coast when the blast was reported around 1pm local time (12pm BST) this afternoon. The crew made an initial attempt to extinguish the fire, but flames began rising again at 1.30pm. The container ship came from Hamburg and was on its way to the port of Rotterdam. Multiple vessels in the area have diverted course towards the ship to assist in the rescue efforts, and two helicopters, including one with firefighters, are on their way to the scene.
The Dutch Coastguard has also sent rescue boats to the site of the incident, which occurred around 30 miles west of the Hook of Holland. Initial reports said 19 people were on board, and there have been no confirmed injuries so far.
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Online ship tracking data showed the Victoria L had been scheduled to arrive in Rotterdam at 2pm local time this afternoon.
The Victoria L sails under the flag of Liberia, and was built in 2009. It is 161 metres (528ft) long and 25 metres (91ft) wide.
It comes after a maritime report revealed that a ship and tanker that collided in the North Sea off the East Yorkshire coast last month did not have "dedicated lookouts", and visibility was "patchy".
The Solong cargo vessel collided into the Stena Immaculate on March 10, leaving one man presumed dead.
The US tanker Stena Immaculate had been approaching the Humber Estuary the night before the incident when it was directed to anchor in an area with eight other vessels.
Portuguese registered Solong was meanwhile sailing from Grangemouth, Scotland to Rottterdam, the Netherlands.
A preliminary report from the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) released last week stated that the Solong “altered course” at around 1.30am, in a south-east direction, and maintained this course until the crash except for a “slight deviation” at 3.45am.
The Solong was travelling at a speed of around 16 knots when it hit the Stena Immaculate, the report said.
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