RCC Passion. Photo: MarineTraffic.com / Pascal Bredel
French authorities were called to an engine room fire on board a vehicle carrier Sunday in the English Channel.
The French Navy reports that the fire broke out around 6 p.m. Sunday in the machinery room of the RCC Passion as it was about 40 nautical miles west of the French island of Ushant in the southwestern end of the English Channel.
The vessel, with 19 crew members on board, was en route from La Havre, France to Fort-de-France in Martinique with 2,195 vehicles.
A French Navy helicopter deployed a fire-fighting team consisting of 12 people to the vessel. The emergency rescue tug Abeille Bourbon was also dispatched, but by the time it arrived the fire had been mostly brought under control.
The Navy confirmed that the fire had been put out as of 2:00 a.m. local time when the ship was 60 nautical miles from Ushant.
No injuries or pollution has been reported.
The Bahamas-flagged RCC Passion was built in 2011 and has capacity of 3,900 ceu. It is owned by Ray Car Carriers and managed by Stamco Ship Management.
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