Navy boards burning tug

A navy damage control team has boarded a burning ocean-going tug off Northland hours after the crew abandoned ship when fire broke out in the engine room.

The tug Koraki, with five crew, was towing a barge off the east coast when the fire began shortly after 3am today. The crew took to the liferafts and sent a mayday call.

Within hours they were rescued by coastguard boats from Whangarei and Kawau Island as the navy's inshore patrol vessel HMNZS Rotoiti headed to the area with specialist firefighting gear and thermal imaging cameras.

Rotoiti's crew sprayed the tug with seawater to cool the hull and deck before going on board at first light.

They found hot spots in the engine room and believed the fire was still smouldering, said coastguard duty officer Kat Andrews.

She said the tug and the barge it was towing were still drifting about nine nautical miles southeast of Mangawhai Heads, 70km south of Whangarei, and another tug was heading to the area to take both vessels in tow.

She said the tug was still very hot.

"There are some very hot spots in the engine room. If it has been hot enough to have a fire in there, it will be too hot for anyone to work on that vessel for some time. It is amazing how long it takes for metal to cool down," she told NZPA.

Shortly before they abandoned ship the crew closed all doors in the hope the fire would be contained.

- NZPA