A British-registered cargo ship has been towed to Falmouth in Cornwall after a fire broke out in the engine room and spread to the accommodation area.

Emergency crews were flown to the vessel, the Kukawa, which was 25 miles off Guernsey. No-one was hurt.

The 29,500-tonne ship had reported an engine-room fire 25 miles north-west of Guernsey at just after 1.00pm local time (1300 GMT) on Saturday.

The vessel, which was carrying 33 people and a cargo of wood and cocoa products, was travelling from West Africa to Rotterdam when fire spread from the engine room to the accommodation area.

Nine fire fighters from Guernsey were winched aboard the ship and were later joined by a further 17 flown in from Falmouth.

The blaze is now contained but still affects the accommodation area.
 

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