13 Workers Die as Fire Traps Them Deep in Italian Ship

Fire spread dense smoke through an Italian ship undergoing repairs near this Adriatic port today, killing 13 workers who were trapped in the vessel.

Police said the victims--a 14th worker escaped unharmed--were waterproofing a plate at the bottom of the liquefied gas carrier Elisabetta Montanari. The only exit was a tiny passageway that quickly became filled with smoke, police said.

The victims were trapped and could not be reached in time by rescue workers, police said.

The fire apparently started in the fuel tank and spread quickly, engulfing much of the vessel in smoke. The cause of the blaze, brought under control less than two hours after it began, was under investigation.