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Tourists rescued from boat that caught fire off Great Barrier Reef island Tourists rescued from boat that caught fire and sank off Great Barrier Reef island
(about 13 hours later)
More than 40 people have escaped a tourist boat that became engulfed in flames and began sinking on the Great Barrier Reef off the central Queensland coast.More than 40 people have escaped a tourist boat that became engulfed in flames and began sinking on the Great Barrier Reef off the central Queensland coast.
The 23m catamaran was 10 nautical miles from Lady Musgrave Island, east of Gladstone, when its 42 passengers were forced to flee in life rafts after a fire in the engine room spread. The 23m (75-foot) catamaran, Spirit of 1770, was 10 nautical miles from Lady Musgrave Island, east of Gladstone, when its 42 passengers were forced to flee in life rafts after a fire in the engine room spread.
Related: Great Barrier Reef: tourism operators urge Australian government to tackle climate changeRelated: Great Barrier Reef: tourism operators urge Australian government to tackle climate change
All of them were ferried back to shore at Gladstone by a volunteer marine rescue, where they were found to have no injuries, a Queensland ambulance spokeswoman said.All of them were ferried back to shore at Gladstone by a volunteer marine rescue, where they were found to have no injuries, a Queensland ambulance spokeswoman said.
A helicopter that was on call for the rescue effort was not needed, she said.  A helicopter that was on call for the rescue effort was not needed, she said.
A police statement said 19 of those rescued were taken to hospitals in Bundaberg and Gladstone for treatment of non-life threatening injuries after the vessel sank late Wednesday.
Most of those on board were Chinese tourists, Nine Network television reported Thursday.
The catamaran was returning to the town of 1770 after a day trip to Lady Musgrave Island when it caught fire and was abandoned 30 minutes later, police said.
The town of 1770 was named after the year that British explorer James Cook and the crew of HM Endeavour landed on that stretch of the coast.