S'pore guard save 11 RI's sailors

SINGAPORE: Singapore's coast guard rescued 11 Indonesian sailors on Sunday after their boat caught fire just off the city-state's coast, maritime authorities said.

The Usaha Karya IV, a wooden vessel, caught fire about 6:00 am just after it had left Singapore for Indonesia, the Maritime and Port Authority said in a statement.

The statement said all 11 Indonesian crew members were safe and there had been no pollution problems despite the vessel sinking.

The authority did not give a reason for the vessel catching fire.--AFP