A fire breaks out in a refrigerated container on a Stena Line ferry off Sweden. It can be deleted. But the power supply is affected and the ship drifts at sea for a long time without propulsion. In the meantime, it has again set course for the next port under its own power.
After a fire and a dramatic evacuation operation, the ferry Stena Scandica is expected in the port of Nynäshamn south of the Swedish capital Stockholm. When the ship will dock, but also depends on the weather, said a spokeswoman for the shipping authority. The ferry is heading towards the port at limited speed. However, the risk of stranding has been averted. There are still more than 270 of the original 299 people on board the ferry, including 241 passengers.
A fire broke out in a refrigerated container on the ferry’s car deck on Monday, but it was quickly extinguished. However, the fire had caused a power failure, after which the ferry had drifted south towards the island of Gotland in strong winds in the evening.
A tugboat that was to take the ship to Nynäshamn harbor was still underway at the time. Concerned that the ship might run aground before its arrival, rescue workers began evacuating the ferry. Families with children and the elderly were evacuated with the help of helicopters. The evacuation was then called off because of nightfall. According to the TT news agency, 25 people were taken to another ferry.
Just offshore, the crew of the Stena Scandica managed to get two engines running, allowing the ferry to move north from Gotland under its own power. Accompanied by the tugboat and the coastguard, she then set course for Nynäshamn. The mood on board is calm, there are no injuries, it said.
The ferry was near the small Swedish island of Gotska Sandön when the fire broke out. She was on her way from Ventspils in Latvia to Nynäshamn.
