A fire on their ferry “Tenacia” to Mallorca forced 350 passengers to spend around 24 hours at sea. Instead of reaching the holiday island on Monday morning, they were transferred to replacement ships on the high seas and returned to their starting port of Valencia. They were due to arrive there on Monday evening, the Italian Shipping company GNV on request. Fortunately, no one was injured.
In the port city on the Spanish The car ferry ‘Tenaci’ left the mainland on Sunday evening for Palma, where it was due to arrive on Monday morning, according to the shipping company. Shortly after midnight, however, a fire broke out in the engine room about halfway along. The “Tenacia” had to stop and the fire was initially fought with resources on board, but the flames could not be extinguished so quickly. On Monday afternoon, the captain finally ordered the evacuation of the ship. Professional firefighters were flown in by helicopter.
Fire on Mallorca ferry: passengers at sea for 24 hours
The Spanish rescue service transferred the passengers and parts of the crew, who all had to put on life jackets, in smaller boats to two nearby ships. The people had to slide down from the high ferry via a so-called rescue tube to the small lifeboats in the depths.
They were then taken back to Valencia, where the damaged ship was also towed, on which the passengers’ cars and luggage had been left behind.
In Valencia, people would be accommodated in hotels for one night and finally reach the holiday island with their car and luggage on a replacement ferry on Tuesday, the shipping company announced. The cause of the fire was initially unknown.