Freighter with 4,000 German cars burns in Atlantic

A freighter carrying about 4,000 German cars belonging to the Volkswagen Group caught fire in the Atlantic Ocean south of the Azores, according to the Portuguese Navy, reported dpa.

The 22 crew members had abandoned the almost 200-metre-long Felicity Ace and were brought to safety, a spokesman told dpa on Friday.

The ship's situation remained stable and there was currently no danger of fuel catching fire or leaking from the ship into the sea, the spokesman added.

The fire on the Panama-flagged car carrier, which according to media reports was on its way from Emden in Germany to Davisville in the US state of Rhode Island, had already broken out on Wednesday on one of the car decks.

Videos on the internet showed white smoke billowing out of the huge ship.

The patrol boat Setúbal from the Portuguese Navy was at the ship, which was drifting in the sea about 170 kilometres south-west of the Azores island of Faial.

Experts from a Dutch salvage company were expected on Friday to examine the possibility of towing the ship to a port, the Portuguese news agency Lusa reported.