The Maritime Search and Rescue Service noted that the incident occurred on the Annika, a 73-meter vessel, shortly before 09:00 local time, adding that a rescue boat extracted the crew members an hour later.
The tanker was carrying 640 metric tons of the fuel, reported the country’s Central Maritime Emergency Command.
The vessel was sailing northeast of Kuehlungsborn, a coastal resort town west of the port city of Rostock, with thick black smoke visibly billowing from it, rescuers added.
Three ships were dispatched to the area to put out the flames, and several more fire crews reached the tanker by helicopter.
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