Boat on fire in the North Sea may sink overnight

A fishing vessel remains in the North Sea after catching fire earlier today.

Five crewmen sent out a mayday relay broadcast just before 1pm after flames emerged on board the Karinya vessel.

They were then rescued by a nearby fishing vessel as the RNLI lifeboat was sent from Fraserburgh alongside the coastguard helicopter from Inverness.

The Karyina vessel is still on fire, and a pollution inspector is being sent to the scene to determine what can be done.

A spokeswoman for the Maritine and Coastguard Agency said: “There is a chance that the vessel will sink during the course of the evening.”