All 207 passengers aboard have been safely evacuated
Two people have died after an engine room fire on a Norwegian cruise ship and nine have been taken to the hospital, Norwegian police confirmed Thursday.
The two killed are believed to be crew members, a spokeswoman for Sunnmore police district told CNN. There were 55 crew on board the ship, MS Nordlys.
All 207 passengers aboard have been safely evacuated and taken to a hotel in the town of Alesund, operator Hurtigruten ASA said. They are of various nationalities.
The local fire department was working to put out the fire, the operator said.
The cruise ship was operating on a popular tourist route from Norway’s second city, Bergen, to the small town of Kirkenes in the country’s far northeast when the fire broke out, forcing the vessel to stop at Alesund, CNN affiliate TV2 reported.
Alesund, a town of some 40,000 people surrounded by fjords, is 226 kilometers (147 miles) north of Bergen.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Hurtigruten staff in Alesund are booking guests on to alternative vessels or making arrangements for them to travel home, the company said.
The 400 foot-long Nordlys, built in 1994, has 475 berths for passengers and can carry 45 cars.
Source: CNN
