156 Rescued from Burning Ferry off Spain

zoom Spanish emergency services rescued 156 passengers and crew from a burning ferry some 20 nautical miles off Palma de Mallorca yesterday, the vessels operator Transmediterranea reports. The Sorrento ferry was en route from Palma de Mallorca to Valencia when a fire was detected in one of its garages at around 13:50 local time yesterday. Four of the crew members who did not manage to reach the evacuation zone were airlifted and taken to a hospital in Palma de Mallorca where they were cleared from any injuries. The remaining passengers and crew were transferred to lifeboats. Salvamento Maritimo, Spains maritime rescue service, contacted the passing ferry Puglia and coordinated the transfer of the passengers and the crew from the lifeboats onto the Balearia Puglia-operated ferry which took them back to Palma de Mallorca. The cause of the fire is still unknown, the ferry operator said. World Maritime News Staff; Image: Ports De Balears