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Fishing ship burning off Antarctica

A Chinese factory fishing ship has caught fire just off the coast of Antarctica. Ninety-seven crew members have been rescued by a nearby Norwegian vessel as Chile's military mobilises to prevent any environmental damage.The crew members abandoned the burning Kai Xin and were taken aboard the Juvel about 55km from Chile's Bernardo O'Higgins research base near the northern tip of the Antarctic peninsula, Chilean officials said.The ship was not immediately at risk of sinking and nearby vessels could tow it away from the Antarctic coast if necessary, officials said.Captain Juan Marcelo Villegas, maritime governor for Chile's portion of Antarctica, said Chile's navy could send a tugboat from Punta Arenas, near the southern tip of South America, to tow the ship to harbour as long as it remained seaworthy.Chile's air force was preparing a second flight for Thursday to check on the vessel's condition. The Kai Xin left port in Uruguay and Chilean officials did not know how much fuel it was carrying, Villegas said.\At the moment the weather conditions are pretty favourable. There's little wind and the ocean conditions are good