Rescuers scrambled Monday to reach as many as 34 people trapped below the deck of a burning commercial scuba-dive boat off the coast of California, US Coast Guard officials said. Firefighters converged on the scene near Santa Cruz Island but the blaze and intense heat prevented them from breaching the hull of the 75-foot (23-meter) vessel to see if there were survivors, they said. “I’m unaware of any survivors at this time,” Coast Guard Petty Officer Aaron Bemis told CNN, adding that it was too early to confirm casualties.
