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California boat fire: At least 33 missing near Santa Cruz island California boat fire: At least 34 missing near Santa Cruz Island
(about 1 hour later)
At least 33 people are unaccounted for after a boat was destroyed by fire off the coast of California. At least 34 people are unaccounted for after a boat was destroyed by fire off the coast of California.
Five of the 38 people on board were rescued, coastguards said. There are reports of fatalities but no official death toll so far. Five people of the 39 people on board were rescued, coastguards said. There are reports of fatalities but no official death toll so far.
The fire broke out on board the boat near Santa Cruz island in the middle of the night. The fire broke out on board the boat near Santa Cruz island in the very early hours of Monday morning.
The boat is now submerged as a search and rescue operation continues in foggy conditions. The vessel is now submerged as a search and rescue operation continues in foggy conditions.
The vessel appears to be a diving boat and reports say some passengers may have been trapped below deck. Coastguard services overheard a mayday call at 03:30 local time (10:30 GMT), saying that the boat was engulfed in flames, according to Captain Monica Rochester, the coastguard sector commander for Long Beach, Ventura County.
One of those rescued has minor injuries. Reports say some passengers may have been trapped below deck.
Those who were rescued may have been sleeping in the main cabin of the boat rather than below deck. Those who were rescued may have been sleeping in the main cabin of the boat rather than below.
"It's a large boat, and we know we have numerous fatalities. I don't have an exact number," Bill Nash a spokesperson for Ventura County told CNN. They were awake before rescue teams arrived and had jumped off the bridge of the boat. One survivor has minor injuries.
Used for chartered scuba diving trips in the Channel Islands, the boat is called Conception. The bow of vessel, a diving boat known as Conception, is still sticking out of the water.
The fire broke out in the early hours of Monday, at about 03:30 local time (10:30 GMT), when the boat was located on the north side of Santa Cruz island, in the Channel Islands National Park. It was used for chartered trips in the Channel Islands National Park.
It sank 20 yards (18m) off the north shore of Santa Cruz Island, at depths of 64ft (20m). The search for survivors continues.