Ship evacuated - Fire on Mallorca ferry: Hundreds of passengers have to stay at sea
Due to a fire on their ferry "Tenacia" to Mallorca, 350 passengers had to endure approximately 24 hours at sea. Instead of reaching the holiday island on Monday morning, they were transferred to replacement ships and returned to their departure port of Valencia. They were expected to arrive there on Monday evening, according to the Italian shipping company GNV in response to inquiries. Fortunately, no one was injured.
The ferry "Tenaci" had set sail from the Spanish port city towards Palma on Sunday evening, where it was supposed to arrive on Monday morning, the shipping company added. However, around midnight, a fire broke out in the engine room. The "Tenacia" had to stop, and the fire was initially put out with onboard equipment. However, the flames did not extinguish quickly. The captain eventually ordered the evacuation of the ship on Monday afternoon. Professional firefighters were flown in by helicopter.
Mallorca passengers must wait for replacement ferry
The Spanish rescue services transferred the passengers and parts of the crew, who all had to put on life jackets, to two other nearby ships using smaller boats. The people had to slide down a rescue slide from the high ferry to the small rescue boats of the rescue services in the depths.
They were then taken back to Valencia because the damaged ship was towed there, where the cars and luggage of the passengers were left behind.
In Valencia, the people were to be accommodated in hotels for a night, according to the announcement from the shipping company, in order to finally reach the holiday island with their cars and luggage on a replacement ferry on Tuesday. The cause of the fire was initially unknown.
Despite the fire damage, the replacement ferry from Valencia to Majorca was eagerly anticipated by the stranded passengers. Regrettably, the beauty of Majorca's beaches would have to wait for another day, as they would spend another night in hotels situated in Valencia.
