Crew extinguishes fire on oil tanker in Gulf of Finland

HELSINKI (AP) — Finnish and Estonian rescue officials say a crude oil tanker caught fire in the Gulf of Finland, but the crew was able to extinguish the flames. The fire broke out on the 250-meter (820-foot) ship Alexia, 18 kilometers (11 miles) south of the Finnish peninsula of Porkkala, the Helsinki Sea Rescue Command Center said Thursday. No injuries were reported. Tago Trei, chief of operations at the Police and Border Guard Board in Estonia, which was taking the lead in the operation, said the fire was out but officials were still checking to make sure there was no further danger. The oil tanker had reportedly left Russia and was en route to Istanbul in Turkey.