Los Angeles
Rescuers were scrambling Monday to reach more than 30 people who were sleeping below deck when their scuba-diving boat caught fire off the California coast, with reports of “numerous fatalities.”
A major rescue operation was underway for the dozens of people trapped aboard the 75-foot (22-meter) boat, near Santa Cruz Island off the coast from Los Angeles, the Coast Guard tweeted. Bill Nash, a spokesperson for Ventura County, told CNN many people were feared dead.
“It’s a large boat, and we know we have numerous fatalities. I don’t have an exact number,” Nash said. But US Coast Guard chief Aaron Bemis, also on CNN, said: “Right now we can’t confirm any fatalities.”— AFP
