A car tire is on fire on the ferry MS Stena Scandica outside Gotska Sandön in the Baltic Sea, reports Aftonbladet. The fire should now be under control, according to the Swedish Maritime Administration. – We have alerted boats and helicopters, and cooperate with the Maritime Rescue Company, the Coast Guard and merchant shipping if it is the case that we have to evacuate. As it looks now, we don’t need it, says Norwegian Maritime Authority spokesperson Lisa Mjörning to SVT. There will be 300 people on board, according to the Norwegian Maritime Administration. – The passengers on board have been taken care of and there is a limited spread of the fire. I can’t specify it more in advance because we are still building a picture of the situation, says a spokesperson for Stena Line, which operates the ferry, Stefan Elfström to SVT. The report about the fire came at 12.40. The extent of the damage is currently unknown, and no injuries have been reported. The fire is happening close to the Salvorev nature reserve, which is an important nesting area for seabirds and a spawning area for fish. – We have alerted all available units, pilot boats, helicopters and other vessels in the vicinity to rescue the persons, says Lisa Mjörning, spokeswoman for the Maritime Administration to Aftonbladet. Several rescue services are involved in the operation. – There is smoke, but no open flames, says Mjörning to the newspaper. The ferry runs between Nynäshamn in Sweden and Ventspils in Latvia. The ferry has a capacity of 970 passengers.
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Fire on car ferry outside Sweden under control – news Urix – Foreign news and documentaries
