An international rescue mission has been launched after a cargo ship caught fire off the coast of Kent.

Britain, France and Belgium are involved in the rescue mission after the Grande Brasile, a 25-year-old cargo ship, caught alight off the coast of Ramsgate just after 9.30am this morning.

The ship was headed to Antwerp in Belgium from Le Havre in France. RNLI lifeboats were called to the scene from Dover and Ramsgate just before 10am. A Dutch coastguard was also seen patrolling the waters, reports Kent Online. A French firefighting vessel is said to have been deployed to put out the flames.

A spokesman for HM Coastguard said it “is coordinating the response to a cargo vessel which reported a fire within one deck in waters east of Ramsgate”.

The added: “The report was made at about 9.35am and fire-suppression measures have been activated.”

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