THREE LIFEBOATS FROM England and a French tug have been deployed in the English Channel this evening after a fire started on an Irish Ferries vessel with nearly 200 people on board.

HM Coastguard has said it was alerted to a blaze in the engine room of the Isle of Innisfree just after 5.30pm.

Irish Ferries, the boat’s operator, said there were 94 passengers and 89 crew members on board, who are all “safe and accounted for”.

Irish Ferries said it would like to sincerely apologise to all its passengers for the disruption to their journeys.

The boat was midway through its journey from Dover to Calais when the fire began, and it has since been extinguished – though the incident is still classed as “ongoing”, HM Coastguard said.

A spokesperson for the agency said: “The vessel has confirmed that the fire has been extinguished but it is experiencing technical difficulties.

“All passengers and crew are accounted for and no injuries have been reported.

“RNLI Lifeboats from Dungeness, Dover and Ramsgate have been sent along with a French tug.

“The incident is ongoing.”

Irish Ferries said the three RNLI lifeboats were despatched as a “precautionary measure” and the Isle of Innisfree is now “safely at anchor”.

“As the situation is stable, no emergency assistance is expected to be required,” a spokesperson said.

“Irish Ferries would like to sincerely apologise to all its passengers for the disruption to their journeys.”

The operator said passengers booked on imminent Isle of Innisfree sailings will be transferred to alternative sailings.