Two men died after fire broke out in the engine room of a merchant ship 51 kms from Cabo Espichel, Sesimbra, late last night. The Portuguese Navy responded to the call for assistance, carrying a medical team to the ship and evacuating the men by helicopter. But they died before reaching hospital. The ship was sailing under a Maltese flag, and is now ‘without propulsion’. The vessels’ owners are undertaking removal of the rest of the 23-man crew, with a naval vessel on stand-by during the operation.
