Fire Kills 3 On Chilean Cargo Ship Docked In Brazil

Three crew members of a Chilean ship were killed by a fire that broke out in the vessel's machine room as it was docked in Brazil, a fire official said. The "Rio Blanco" was taking on a cargo of automobiles and farm equipment in the southeastern port of Santos when the blaze began late Saturday, Lt. Nelson Pinherio Duarte of the Santos fire department said. Firefighters extinguished the flames shortly after dawn.Rio BlancoTwo of the victims died of asphyxiation and one was burned to death, Duarte said. He did not know the victims' identities but said they were all Chileans. Authorities were investigating the cause of the fire "but it appears it may have been caused by a leak in a fuel pipe inside the machine room," he said.