Coast Guard crews in Iceland have rescued 11 crewmembers from ship which caught fire in heavy weather to the south of the North Atlantic island.

The Icelandic Coast Guard says it received a call at 2 p.m. local time Wednesday reporting engine room fire onboard the Ro/Ro cargo ship MV Fernanda.

Within two hours, a Coast Guard helicopter was on scene airlifted the 11 crew to safety. The 11 crewmembers, who were all uninjured, have been taken to Reykjavik, the largest city and capital of Iceland.

Meanwhile, Coast Guard ship Thor was sent to the scene to commence firefighting operations.

The 75-meter MV Fernanda is registered in the Dominican Republic and was built in 1981, according to the Icelandic Coast Guard.

The Coast Guard says that firefighting will continue through the night and an assessment will be made in the morning.