The DFDS Seaways’ ferry Regina Seaways, with more than 300 passengers onboard was reported to be stranded in the Baltic Sea, as it experienced fire in the engine room, while it was off the coast of Kaliningrad. However, according to the Lithuanian Ministry of National Defence the ferry reached the port of Klaipeda.
Regina Seaways was heading from the Port of Kiel to the Port of Klaipeda, Lithuania, when according to sources it suffered an engine room fire. When the fire broke out, the ship was off Kaliningrad, but there was neither pollution nor injuries. The fire was extinguished quickly, while the passengers moved to a safe part on the ship.
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As a result, the Russian Baltic fleet and Lithuanian vessels, along with helicopters, were deployed to assist the stranded ship. According to the latest update by the Lithuanian Ministry of National Defence, the ferry has now moored in the Port of Klaipeda, as it reached there with the help of three Lithuanian Navy vessels.
As Commander Eugenijus Valikovas, head of the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre of the Lithuanian Navy, informed, the rescue operation was not easy, due to rogue waves and the number of people on board the ship.
Three Navy ships were used, which were able to accommodate all passengers and take them to the shore safely, while three Air Force helicopters were standing by.
