Extraordinary footage shows the Colombian Navy rescuing 29 crew members from a burning Venezuelan-flagged fishing boat.
The tuna vessel was being held in the Port of Buenaventura, in Colombia, when the fire broke out on Monday night (September 5), days after allegedly being caught illegally fishing in a protected area.
It is suspected an electrical short circuit in the kitchen caused the blaze.
The navy sent two rapid response teams to evacuate the crew of 14 Venezuelans, five Mexicans, five Colombians, two Ecuadorians, and one Costa Rican.
Two were taken to hospital, while the others were transported to a military facility.
The Colombian General Maritime Directorate has said it will investigate the cause of the fire.
In a statement obtained by Newsflash on September 6, the Pacific Naval Force said: "In the last few hours, the Colombian navy has preserved the lives of 29 people of different nationalities, who were aboard a Venezuelan-flagged vessel that caught fire in the inner bay of Buenaventura, Valle del Cauca.
"The events occurred late at night, when officials from the Maritime Surveillance and Traffic Station of the General Maritime Directorate alerted staff of the Buenaventura Coast Guard Station to the conflagration that was taking place on the ship ' Taurus I', apparently caused by a short circuit in the kitchen."
The statement also said crew members of the Venezuelan ship had previously been summoned by the National Aquaculture and Fisheries Authority for allegedly carrying out fishing in a protected area in Bahia Solano, Choco, where it's banned.
As a result, the ship had been held in Buenaventura Bay on August 29, while investigations were carried out.
The Pacific Naval Force continued: "The Colombian navy reaffirms its commitment to the preservation of life at sea and comprehensive maritime security in the Colombian Pacific, daily strengthening and intensifying controls of vessels that ply the maritime and river waters in this area of the country."
The navy said it sent three tug boats to put out the fire.
Frigate Captain Javier Gomez, captain of the Port of Buenaventura, meanwhile, said they were "preparing to contain any spills" from the boat to "mitigate or avoid any impact on the marine environment".
