Passengers on Cairnryan to Belfast ferry told to prepare to evacuate following fire
The blaze on the Stena Line service was quickly dealt with on Monday night
Passengers and crew on board a Stena Line ferry from Cairnryan to Belfast were told to prepare for a possible evacuation after a fire broke out onboard.
Coastguard and lifeboat crews were also called out to assist during the incident at around 9pm on Monday.
The small blaze in the engine room was put out instantly after being detected on the Superfast VIII, but the engine was then shut down as a safety precaution.
The service had been due to arrive in Belfast at around 21:45 local time, but was delayed 22:16.
All passengers disembarked safely and there are no reports of any injuries.
In a statement Stena Line told Cool FM News: “At around 21:00 last night the fire alarm sounded onboard the Stena Superfast VIII on route to Belfast. A small fire was detected in an engine, which was immediately extinguished. The engine was shut down and the vessel continued on its voyage to Belfast, where it arrived at just 22:16.
“The Master’s actions were conducted in line with our strict safety protocols to ensure the well-being of the vessel and all those onboard. As a standard safety precaution the passengers and crew were asked to prepare themselves for a possible evacuation. However, a full emergency was not called and at no time was there a risk to the passengers, crew or the vessel.
“As part of our normal safety protocols the Coast Guard was notified and the Master adjusted course to allow time for an assessment of the situation. As a further precaution he requested a Belfast Habour tug boat escort the vessel to its berth, but its assistance was not needed. The Coast Guard was kept fully informed and after a full assessment the vessel was approved to resume service.
“There was a delay to departure due to the vessel needing to wait for other commercial traffic movements in the Harbour. The time of departure from Belfast to Cairnryan was 01:45.”