Santa Cruz boat fire: fight to save lives as 34 people trapped below deck

The US coast guard is scrambling to reach 34 people who were sleeping below deck when their scuba-diving boat caught fire off the coast of California.

The blaze broke out at 3.14am local time. Five crew members were able to be rescued given their position on the boat but the fate of those trapped below is not known.

The 75-foot (22-meter) boat was located near Santa Cruz Island off the coast from Los Angeles and was carrying passengers for a cruise on Labour Day, a US bank holiday.

There were reports of "numerous fatalities". The details of exactly what happened are still emerging.

Aaron Bemis, a US Coast Guard chief, told CNN the fire was so strong that it kept on relighting as rescuers attempted to put it out.

"The five crew members were able to disembark because they were in the main cabin," Mr Bemis said.

"The 34 passengers were below decks. The report we got was they were trapped by the fire."

"The fire was so intense that even after it was put out, we're not able to actually embark the vessel and, you know, look for survivors at this point."

"It's still ongoing."

Bill Nash, a spokesman for Ventura County, told CNN many people were feared dead.

"It's a large boat, and we know we have numerous fatalities. I don't have an exact number," Mr Nash said.