At least 34 people are feared dead after a 75ft diving boat burst into flames off the coast of California. The fire reportedly broke out just before 5am (11am GMT) this morning near Santa Cruz Island, close to Los Angeles, while passengers were asleep. According to reports, five crew members managed to escape the vessel while one is being treated for a broken leg. The rest remain "unaccounted for", Santa Barbara County Fire Department PIO Mike Eliason said. We're still holding hope that someone may have swam to shore. When they anchor overnight they're pretty close to shore. We have to hope, but we plan for worst case scenario," he said. According to CNN, the boat was called 'Conception,' had left on Saturday for a three-day cruise and was scheduled to return today. Have you been affected by this? Email webnews@mirror.co.uk. Emergency services remain at the scene, searching for any missing passengers. The US Coast Guard were initially unable to board the boat because it kept reigniting, Senior Chief Aaron Bemis said. "It keeps being extinguished and re-flashing, possibly due to the amount of fuel on board. Unsure why, but it's consistently being put out and re-flashing". "Multiple coast guard and local Ventura County Fire Department assets on scene, but we're not able to yet breach the hull and see if there's any survivors at this point." "I'm unaware of any survivors at this time, and I'm also no confirmed casualties at this time. It's too early to tell." Photos shared on social media show firefighters tackling bright orange flames. The Coastguard wrote on Twitter: “The Coast Guard has launched multiple rescue assets along with assets from local agencies to assist more than 30 people in distress on a 75ft boat near Santa Cruz Island.” A tweet that followed says: "The vessel was reported as being on fire. "The group of crew members has been rescued (one with minor injuries) and efforts continue to evacuate the remaining passengers." Ventura County officials say multiple people have died but the US Coast Guard is yet to confirm fatalities. Jen Buesinger Sperry, a Good Day LA reporter, called it a “mass fatality” incident. CBS News say the boat had been carrying divers when the fire broke out. The Conception reportedly left Santa Barbara on Saturday and visited several diving spots around Santa Cruz Island. The Coast Guard responded by both water and air, according to Fox News. We'll be bringing you the very latest updates, pictures and video on this breaking news story. Please check back regularly for updates on this developing story here at Mirror.co.uk.
Santa Cruz Island boat fire: 34 feared dead after 75ft vessel bursts into flames
At least 34 people are feared dead after a 75ft diving boat burst into flames off the coast of California. The fire reportedly broke out just before 5am (11am GMT) this morning near Santa Cruz Island, close to Los Angeles, while passengers were asleep. According to reports, five crew members managed to escape the vessel while one is being treated for a broken leg. The rest remain "unaccounted for", Santa Barbara County Fire Department PIO Mike Eliason said. We're still holding hope that someone may have swam to shore. When they anchor overnight they're pretty close to shore. We have to hope, but we plan for worst case scenario," he said. According to CNN, the boat was called 'Conception,' had left on Saturday for a three-day cruise and was scheduled to return today. Have you been affected by this? Email webnews@mirror.co.uk. Emergency services remain at the scene, searching for any missing passengers. The US Coast Guard were initially unable to board the boat because it kept reigniting, Senior Chief Aaron Bemis said. "It keeps being extinguished and re-flashing, possibly due to the amount of fuel on board. Unsure why, but it's consistently being put out and re-flashing". "Multiple coast guard and local Ventura County Fire Department assets on scene, but we're not able to yet breach the hull and see if there's any survivors at this point." "I'm unaware of any survivors at this time, and I'm also no confirmed casualties at this time. It's too early to tell." Photos shared on social media show firefighters tackling bright orange flames. The Coastguard wrote on Twitter: “The Coast Guard has launched multiple rescue assets along with assets from local agencies to assist more than 30 people in distress on a 75ft boat near Santa Cruz Island.” A tweet that followed says: "The vessel was reported as being on fire. "The group of crew members has been rescued (one with minor injuries) and efforts continue to evacuate the remaining passengers." Ventura County officials say multiple people have died but the US Coast Guard is yet to confirm fatalities. Jen Buesinger Sperry, a Good Day LA reporter, called it a “mass fatality” incident. CBS News say the boat had been carrying divers when the fire broke out. The Conception reportedly left Santa Barbara on Saturday and visited several diving spots around Santa Cruz Island. The Coast Guard responded by both water and air, according to Fox News. We'll be bringing you the very latest updates, pictures and video on this breaking news story. Please check back regularly for updates on this developing story here at Mirror.co.uk.
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