Injured man air rescued from cargo ship on fire in UAE waters

The blaze occurred as the cargo ship was on its way from Panama

Ships from the National Search and Rescue Centre of the National Guard fighting the blaze. Photo: National Guard of the UAE

An injured man has been flown to hospital after the ship he was on caught fire.

The blaze on Tuesday occurred as the cargo ship, which originated in Panama, was in UAE waters.

The incident left a crew member with severe burns.

The UAE’s National Search and Rescue Centre flew the injured crewman to Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City in Abu Dhabi for treatment.

A video showed smoke coming from the stern of the cargo ship with three other vessels trying to extinguish the fire.

“We evacuated the injured member during the blaze on a ship from Panama in the UAE’s territorial waters,” the authority said.