7 airlifted after fire breaks out on ferry off English coast

LONDON, ENGLAND (BNO NEWS) -- Seven people suffering from the effects of smoke inhalation were airlifted to hospital Saturday after a fire broke out on board a ferry off the coast of England, officials said on early Sunday, adding that a person suspected of setting the fire had been detained.

The incident began at approximately 10 p.m. local time on Saturday when a fire broke out in a passenger cabin on the MS King Seaways ferry as it was about 30 miles (48 kilometers) northeast of Flamborough Head, an area on the Yorkshire coast. There were 946 passengers and 127 crew members on board.

The fire broke out in a passenger cabin but had already been brought under control by the time Humber Coastguard officials were first contacted. Lifeboats and search and rescue helicopters were immediately sent to assist the vessel, and seven people suffering from the effects of smoke inhalation were later airlifted to Scarborough hospital.

"Fifteen passengers and eight crew members are reported to have suffered from smoke-related injuries. They have been checked by a doctor onboard, and two passengers and four crew members have been taken ashore by helicopter for further medical assistance at a local hospital in the UK," a spokesperson for ferry company DFDS Seaways said. Humber Coastguard said seven people had been airlifted.

"We have been in close contact with the MS King Seaways this evening and sent resources to assist in the evacuation of those passengers and crew that were showing signs of smoke inhalation," said Humber Coastguard Watch Manager Bev Allen. None of those injured were believed to be seriously injured.

The exact cause of the fire was not immediately known, but Humberside Police officials said a person had been detained by ship staff on suspicion of causing the fire. The ferry, which was en-route from North Shields near Newcastle to IJmuiden in the Netherlands, was expected to return to North Shields on Sunday morning.

(Copyright 2013 by BNO News B.V. All rights reserved. Info: [email protected].)