A fire has broken out aboard a containership in the Red Sea, northwest of the Farasan Islands off Saudi Arabia. All 25 crewmembers on board have evacuated the burning ship and were rescued by a nearby vessel.

The blaze erupted in container stacks immediately forward of the accommodation block at the stern of the Panama-registered TSS Pearl while the ship was en route to Aden, Yemen.

The fire is reportedly still active, and professional salvors have been dispatched to respond to the incident.

Crewmembers were taken to Jizan for medical treatment and are said to be in good health.

The full extent of damage to the vessel and its cargo is currently unknown but is expected to be significant.

The 2,007 teu vessel is managed by UAE-based Tehama Shipping and owned by Rafidain Shipping, who will likely declare general average, according to claims consultancy W K Webster.