Crew rescued from burning vessel
A total of 16 people are safely back on dry land after they abandoned their ship which caught fire.
It was a dramatic sea rescue off the Durban coast earlier on Tuesday.
A Taiwanese fishing vessel caught fire nearly 500km from the shore.
Netcare 911 says they responded to a call to assist the sinking vessel off the coast of Durban.
"Reports from the scene allege that the fishing vessel with 16 on board ran into trouble and a distress call was placed, the vessel had caught fire and there was "an explosion" on board. The vessel then began to sink," says Netcare911's Nick Dollman.
All 16 seamen were accounted for and in life rafts.
"The closest vessel to the incident was a large freight ship and they went to the aid of the stranded men. Two men had been confirmed injured. The first man, approximately 40 years old, had sustained severe burns to his hands, arms and face and was given analgesic medication to manage his pain. The second man, approximately 60 years old, had sustained a moderate injury to his left leg."
The other 14 seamen were fortunate to escape without injury.
