A fire in the engine room of a Lithuanian passenger ferry in the Baltic Sea has been extinguished, a representative from the Russian Federal Agency of Maritime and River Transportation told Sputnik.
“I clarify that there was no explosion. Just in the section of the engine, there was vibration and smoke appeared,” Vaidas Klumbys, Communications Manager of DFDS stated.
Earlier, media reports said that there had been an explosion on the ferry.
“There was an explosion in the engine room on the passenger ferry flying the Lithuanian flag in the Baltic Sea, 335 people were on board, including 37 crew members,” the Russian Federal Agency of Maritime and River Transportation representative stated.
Passagierschiff REGINA SEAWAYS kommt! Fährt mit 11kn über die Ostsee https://t.co/upS5ssNPmR pic.twitter.com/pNnmoSbBw5
Delfi news has specified, citing sources, that there were 294 passengers and 42 crew members on the ferry. There are no reports of injuries.
According to the Rescue Coordination Center, a Sakiai rescue vessel is preparing to leave in order to save the ferry.
“The prime minister was informed about the incident and talked with the Minister of National Defense. The prime minister stated that information would be provided to the public and that all necessary forces from all state services would be thrown into the rescue effort,” said Tomas Beržinskas, spokesman for the Prime Minister of the Republic of Lithuania.
Eight Russian and Lithuanian ships have been sent to the ferry to provide any possible help, according to a source in the maritime rescue services.
The maritime rescue services reported that the passenger ferry had sailed from Kiel, Germany to the Lithuanian port of Klaipeda.
The incident occurred just a few days after the anniversary of the 1994 MS Estonia tragedy that killed 852 people and is referred to as the Baltic Titanic.
