Cargo ship towed to shore after engine room fire

A cargo ship has been towed into port after a fire broke out in its engine room while it was off the Isle of Wight.

HM Coastguard earlier said the Caesarea Trader would be checked and then towed into Portsmouth where fire crews would take over the incident.

The blaze on the vessel broke out at about 15:45 GMT on Monday when it was east of Shanklin. The situation was reported as stable by about 22:00 and all 24 people on board were accounted for and safe.

In a statement, the Marine Accident Investigation Branch said its team would examine the vessel when it arrived in port.

The vessel, owned by DFDS, transports freight between the Channel Islands and Portsmouth.

The coastguard search and rescue helicopter was sent to undertake thermal imaging of the vessel after the fire broke out, along with Bembridge RNLI lifeboat and tugs from Portsmouth.

The lifeboat crew was stood down at 20:20 after remaining on scene as a precaution.

The Caesarea Trader - previously named Commodore Goodwill - was reflagged under the UK flag last year.

It has a cargo capacity of 1,250 cubic metres, the equivalent of about 80 trailers.

Operator DFDS said it was "making necessary steps to maintain continuity of freight links to Jersey".

Food supply to Jersey should be "minimally disrupted", according to the island's minister for sustainable economic development.

The ferry served the Channel Islands for nearly 30 years before it was bought by the Danish-based company in 2025.

It was renamed Caesarea Trader in homage to Jersey's Latin name, Caesarea.

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