FIFTEEN CREW MEMBERS of a Spanish trawler were brought to port at Castletownbere, Co Cork this morning after their fishing vessel caught fire and had to be rescued yesterday.

The 31.5 metre long trawler was fishing for hake in waters to the south-west of Ireland’s coast, the Puerto de Burela Fishery Producers Organisation stated.

The organisation, also known as OPP-7,  is one of Spain’s representative bodies for fishermen and owns the burnt vessel, the ‘Nuevo San Juan’.

Esta mañana nuestro buque asociado "Nuevo San Juan", que estaba realizando sus actividades pesqueras en aguas irlandesas, ha sufrido un incendio a bordo. pic.twitter.com/i1kZtVbZgw

— OPP-7 Puerto de Burela (@oppburela) July 2, 2023

The trawler sailed from the northern Spanish port of Burela and sent out a distress call shortly after 7am yesterday morning, OPP-7 stated on Twitter.

Another trawler which answered the Nuevo San Juan’s distress call, the ‘Nuevo Confurco’, arrived at the trawler’s location, where its crew were waiting in lifeboats.

“The most important thing is that fortunately there is no damage or human loss,” OPP-7 said.

It’s unknown what caused the fire, but an investigation will be conducted, Spanish news site EuroWeekly News reported.