The Turkish-flagged ship ‘Und Adriyatik’ caught fire early Wednesday morning 15 miles off the northern Croatian Adriatic resort of Rovinj, said Marina Haluzan, spokeswoman for the Croatian Ministry of the Sea, Transport and Infrastructure.
Three vessels that found themselves in the vicinity were sent to the site of the accident. All 22 crew members and nine passengers aboard the burning ship were rescued by the crew of the Greek ship Ikarus Palace.
The National Search and Rescue Centre said it began a rescue operation at 0500 hours.
The National Emergency Services Centre said that the 193-metre-long ship was transporting 11 tonnes of hazardous cargo (oil products) and 200 trucks to the Italian port of Trieste, and that it was very likely that the ship would sink and pollute the sea.