A fire on board a Norwegian cruise liner has killed two people, injured at least nine, and forced the evacuation of 260 others on Thursday, September 15, as the cruise liner operating on a popular route along Norway’s craggy coast.
Police said they received information that an additional four people were missing, but could not immediately confirm it. Nine people were taken to the hospital, two with serious burns and smoke injuries. The two that were killed, according to reports, were crew members.
Now, just one day after the fire, rescue teams are raced to pump water from the hull of the ship as it came dangerously close to tipping over.
Early on Friday, the ship was listing nearly 22 degrees after taking in a dangerous amount of water, the Norway International Network reported. A Dutch salvage team placed three pumps inside the vessel Friday morning, and by midday workers were able to reduce this ship’s list to about 17 degrees. That brings it just below the “critical line” of 20 degrees, at which tipping over is of serious concern.
MS Nordlys, one of Hurtigrunten’s 12 vessels that ply Norway’s craggy coast, was traveling along the popular route from Bergen to the Arctic town of Kirkenes when the fire broke out in the engine room at 9:20 a.m. local time on Thursday.
The ship was due to arrive at its port of call in the town of Aalesund, 230 miles northwest of the capital, Oslo, when the fire began. More than 100 of the 207 passengers were evacuated into lifeboats before the remaining departed at port.
Nine crew members were taken to the hospital for smoke-related injuries. Two crew members were treated for serious burns while two others perished in the fire.
While the cause of the fire remains unknown, police suspect that an on board explosion is to blame.
