Nearly 300 abandon Argentine icebreaker

BUENOS AIRES, April 11 (UPI) -- Nearly 300 crewmembers of an Argentine icebreaker abandoned ship when the vessel caught fire in the South Atlantic.

The fire aboard the Almirante Irizar reportedly broke out in the generator room of the ship late Tuesday, prompting the 296-man crew to pile into 24 lifeboats and await rescue, La Nacion reported Wednesday.

The crew was reportedly rescued by a nearby oil tanker and fishing vessels near the tip of Argentina in the Patagonia region.

The cause of the blaze is still not known, said Argentine authorities.