Over 30 people were feared missing after a boat caught fire early on Monday off the coast of California near Santa Cruz Island in the United States, BBC reported. Five of the 38 on board were rescued and there were no reports of deaths so far, according to the coast guards.

The boat reportedly submerged amid rescue operations as some passengers were feared trapped below the deck. “It’s a large boat, and we know we have numerous fatalities,” CNN quoted Bill Nash, the spokesperson for Ventura County, California, as saying. “I don’t have an exact number.”

Fire erupted in the boat, which is reportedly used for chartered scuba diving trips in the Channel Islands, around 3.30 am local time [around 4 pm Indian Standard Time]. “Right now they’re conducting shoreline searches for any available survivors,” AP quoted Coast Guard Captain Monica Rochester as saying. “The crew was actually already awake and on the bridge and they jumped off.”

The boat, called The Conception, departed at 4 am on Saturday and was scheduled to return at 5 pm on Monday. Meanwhile, The National Transportation Safety Board sent a team to look into the incident, according to CNN.

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