Agencies-Gaza post
Ferry carries 300 people catches fire off Sweden
large-scale rescue operation is underway Monday off the Swedish coast, after a fire “is under control” on a car ferry carrying 300 people, according to the maritime authorities and the ship’s owner.
The fire, which appeared to have started in a refrigerated truck, spread to the parking lot of the Stena Skandica ferry, which was on a journey between Sweden and Latvia.
“The fire is under control,” Swedish Maritime Administration spokeswoman Lisa Meuring told AFP.
“It was a small fire centered around a refrigerated truck on the parking lot,” Stefan Alfström, a spokesman for the company that rents the ship, told AFP. “It appears that the fire started from the truck,” he added.
Three helicopters and seven ships were sent to the scene, and the ferry had 240 passengers and 50 to 60 crew members on board.
No injuries were recorded until the hour after the warning was issued, around 12:30 local time (10:30 GMT).
“The smoke rose, but its density decreased to a large extent,” Alfström said.
The Stena Scandica was off the island of Gotska Sanden, southeast of the Swedish coast. She was on a journey between Nynashamn, near Stockholm, and Ventspils, in Latvia.
