A total of 22 crew members were safely rescued after a car carrier vessel caught fire about 630 miles south of Costa Rica. The ship, named the Min Jiang Kou, was traveling through a remote area of the ocean when a blaze broke out in its engine room. The United States Coast Guard helped coordinate the emergency response after receiving a distress signal from the ship.

The incident began on Thursday afternoon when the crew reported the engine room fire. Workers aboard the vessel quickly activated the ship's built-in carbon dioxide fire suppression system, which temporarily contained the flames. However, conditions on the ship deteriorated later that night as smoke began to fill the vessel.

Due to the rising danger, the captain ordered the crew to abandon the ship using lifeboats. The Coast Guard used an automated rescue network to contact nearby commercial ships for assistance. Two merchant vessels diverted to help, and one of them, the Jin Hai Ping, successfully picked up all 22 crew members from the water.

All of the rescued crew members are safe and are currently being transported to Akita, Japan. Authorities reported that no oil spills or environmental damage have occurred as a result of the incident. The ship\'s operators are now working with a maritime salvage company to address the damaged vessel and plan for repairs.