Fire rages on Russian ship with ammonia tank and 200,000 litres of diesel oil inside

Emergency services battled to cool chemical store as blaze carried on into second day

The Russian fishing trawler, Bukhta Naezdnik engulfed in flames in the harbour of Tromso, Norway (AP)

A moored Russian trawler in Norway has been capsized in an attempt to stop the ship from exploding after a fire aboard the vessel continued to burn for a second day.

Around 100 people were evacuated from the area around the Bukhta Naezdnik in the port of Breivika, near Tromso on Wednesday amid concerns a tank of ammonia on board could be ignited.

The hazardous chemical is capable of causing skin burns and critical lung damage - risking damage to local residents as well as the surrounding environment.

However officials have since tipped the vessel into the waters to prevent smoke damage to the surrounding area.

The fire, which began on Wednesday, caused the ship to dramatically list onto one side, with acrid black smoke pouring into the skyline as firefighters attempted to cool the ammonia tank.

The 200,000 litres of diesel oil stored on the ship’s fuel tanker is believed to have been mostly depleted by the flames through overnight, according to local police.

However officers are continuing to advise residents keep their windows closed to limit the risk caused by the smoke.

It is not yet known what caused the fire, which reportedly spread from the back of the ships to a store of fishing nets.

Two of the vessel’s 29 crew members were treated for smoke inhalation, according to local reports.

“The fire is near the ammonia tank but it hasn't exploded," Oeystein Solstad, head of the region's fire and rescue department told local media during the operation to quell the inferno.

"We believe that the valves have worked properly and that much has gone out of the tank.

“We don't therefore think that there is a great danger of explosion right now, but we keep the tank cool all the time."