294 stranded as ferry breaks down in Baltic Sea

A ferry with 294 passengers on board was stranded in the Baltic Sea on Tuesday after an engine breakdown on Tuesday, Danish operator DFDS said.

The vessel sent out a distress call after a reported explosion in the engine room at 11.45 a.m, the Telegraph reported.

The ferry operator said in a statement the malfunction on board the Regina Seaways vessel produced smoke, which triggered the ship's fire extinguishing system in the engine room. No passengers or crew members were injured, it said.

The country's Air Force said it had sent a helicopter and two more were on standby.

DFDS said that passengers were assembled at emergency points in preparation for a possible evacuation, but it was not necessary because the "situation was under control".

The statement said the extent of the damage was not fully known. The ferry was travelling between the German port of Kiel and Klaipeda, in Lithuania. - IANS