Rapid response at sea by Portugal’s navy, assisted by four merchant vessels, succeeded in rescuing the lives of 22 seafarers onboard a roll-on- roll-off (roro) car carrier that caught fire while crossing the North Atlantic Ocean.
The Panamanian-flagged roro, Felicity Ace, was heading for the Port of Davisville in Rhode Island when it ran into trouble south of the Azores island of Faial.
Aerial footage showed a massive plume of white smoke coming off the 200-metre vessel, tilting in a strong breeze.
The Ace’s crew managed to escape in a lifeboat and were picked up by a Suezmax crude oil tanker, Resilient Warrior.
Investigations are already under way to determine the cause of yesterday’s incident.
The extent of the damage to the vehicles the Ace had earlier loaded at the Port of Emden in Germany is still not clear.
According to reports, the vessel, owned by Polembros Shipping in Athens, Greece, is being towed to a nearby location, probably the Port of Ponta Delgada on the main Azores island of São Miguel.
