- A fire broke out on a passenger ferry off the Swedish coast with around 300 people on board in the afternoon.
- The crew was able to extinguish the fire, but a power failure ensued. The ferry is now drifting slowly towards the island of Gotland in strong winds off the Swedish coast.
- The passengers are now to be evacuated from the ferry by helicopter, as the Swedish Maritime Authority announced.
Families with children and the elderly are to be brought off board with the help of helicopters. Initially, there were around 70 people. Of the 299 people on the “Stena Scandica” ferry, 241 were passengers, according to the shipping authority in a media release.
Legend:
Around 300 people are said to be on board the ferry.
Keystone/John Jonsson/Swedish Maritime Administration via AP
A tugboat to bring the ship to the port of Nynäshamn south of Stockholm is on its way, the spokeswoman said. “Hopefully he’ll be there in time. But there is a small risk that the ferry will run aground before then.” In the event of an evacuation, pilot boats and helicopters were sent in the direction of the ferry.
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.