Man in hospital after tanker fire

A crew member airlifted from a tanker in the North Sea is fighting for his life after a fire in the vessel's engine room.

Lifeboats and an RAF rescue helicopter were scrambled after the Humber coastguard was alerted to the emergency, in the North Sea off Whitby.

A crewman was airlifted to hospital with burns after a fire in the engine room of a tanker off the Whitby coast.

The 8,500 tonne vessel, the Mississippi Star, contained no cargo and was heading to Teesport to Antwerp, Belgium, when the fire broke out six miles off the Whitby coast.

Eighteen crew members were on board and the crewman, aged 65 from the Philippines, was airlifted to the James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough to be treated for flash burns.

The Costguard says the ship will be towed to Hartlepool this evening, June 11.