Dive boat sinks in flames off California, 34 missing
Los Angeles: A commercial scuba-dive boat sank amid intense flames early Monday off the coast of Southern California and 34 passengers were unaccounted for, the US Coast Guard said.
Many were feared dead.
Fire crews in helicopters, small boats and a Coast Guard cutter spent hours desperately battling the fierce pre-dawn fire on the 75-foot (23-meter) Conception, which had been on a diving excursion around Santa Cruz Island.
But the blaze and intense heat prevented them from breaching the vessel's hull to search for survivors before the craft sank, the Coast Guard said.
Five Conception crew members were awake and jumped into the water when flames burst out around 3:15 am (1015 GMT), Coast Guard Captain Monica Rochester told reporters in a televised briefing.
The five were rescued by people on a pleasure craft called the Grape Escape, Rochester said.
She said it was unclear whether the Conception's crew had been able to try to rescue any passengers, all of whom were believed to have been sleeping in a bunk cabin below decks.
She said 34 people -- not the 33 reported earlier by the Coast Guard -- were unaccounted for when the Conception sank 20 yards (meters) offshore, leaving only its bow exposed.
"I'm unaware of any survivors at this time," Coast Guard Petty Officer Aaron Bemis told CNN earlier, adding that it was too soon to confirm casualties.
Rochester said the Coast Guard was still in "response phase" -- meaning search and rescue efforts were continuing, primarily through a shoreline search for possible survivors.
She said the Conception, which was launched in 1981 by a Santa Barbara-based company called Truth Aquatics, "has been in full compliance" with safety regulations, and that its owner was cooperating with investigators.
Asked whether there had been an explosion on board or a slow-developing fire, Rochester said that "the only Mayday call we received was the vessel was engulfed in flames." Bemis said the fire was put out multiple times but flared back up, apparently because of the amount of fuel in the vessel, which could carry up to 1,600 gallons, according to the company website.
Bill Nash, a spokesperson for Ventura County, told CNN many people were feared dead. Crews from that county and from Santa Barbara County had joined the Coast Guard in battling the fire.
"It's a large boat, and we know we have numerous fatalities," Nash said.
The Truth Aquatics website said the Conception, listed as having bunks for up to 46 people, had been scheduled to return Monday from a three-day trip after visiting several diving spots around Santa Cruz Island.
The area is popular for a variety of water and outdoor sports.
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Four months on, no breakthrough in missing Bengaluru girls case; CID probe ordered
Bengaluru: The case of two students who went missing under mysterious circumstances four months ago in the jurisdiction of Vidyaranyapura Police Station has been transferred to the Criminal Investigation Department for further investigation, as no breakthrough has been made so far.
The missing students have been identified as Taniska, a second PUC student, and Tejaswini, a first PUC student. Both went missing on January 31 after leaving their homes, carrying only their Aadhaar cards. They have not returned since, prompting their parents to file a complaint with the police.
During the initial investigation, police found CCTV footage showing the two students crossing certain junctions. There were early indications that they may have travelled towards Male Mahadeshwara Hills, but searches conducted there did not yield any results, sources said.
Police teams carried out searches in more than 100 locations across the country, including Mysuru, Chennai, Coimbatore, Kerala, and Delhi. However, no trace of the students has been found. Cops said the two have not used mobile phones or ATM cards since their disappearance. They have also not contacted friends, relatives, or family members, making the case more difficult to crack.
With no progress in the investigation, the parents had urged the government to hand over the case to the CID. Following this, the government transferred the case to the CID, and a special team has now been formed to trace the missing students.
