PERTH: A woman sailor and three male crewmates died yesterday when a fireball engulfed the engine room of the Australian Navy's biggest ship. Another five sailors were injured as they attempted to fight their way into the blazing engine room of the fuel supply tanker HMAS Westralia in a bid to rescue them.
But the blaze spread rapidly and after ten minutes the captain, Commander Stuart Dietrich, had to abandon rescue attempts and seal the engine room. Naval Base Commander Allan Johnston said it was likely the sailors died instantly. ''They were taken out in the initial flash of the fuel line,'' he said.
A Navy spokesman said the engine room had to be sealed or 20,000 tons of diesel fuel could have ignited, killing all 90 of the crew.
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