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| (c) 2011 Hurtigruten |
Hurtigruten, which said a fire occurred onboard Nordlys at 9:17 a.m. today near Alesund, Norway, has provided the following update.
Two crew members were tragically killed and four crew members of the crew remain in the hospital. At the time of the fire, there were 207 guests and a crew of 55 onboard. The ship was sailing northbound from Bergen; Alesund was a planned port of call.
The cause of the fire -- which the line says is under control -- is not known.
Hurtigruten's statement said: "Guests and crew are [being] accommodated and taken care of along with the families of those injured and bereaved. The company has multi-lingual representatives in Ålesund to ensure that all customers receive the best possible support. Among them is Hurtigruten’s CEO Olav Fjell who traveled immediately to Ålesund when the extent of the accident was known."
"This is a tragedy and the worst possible situation," said Fjell. "We are in mourning, but [will] work as hard as possible to follow up the next of kin, the injured, their families and other employees in the best way possible."
As for the ship, Nordlys is heeling or leaning approximately 10 degrees but Hurtigruten says the vessel is stabilized.
Divers have confirmed there was no penetration of the hull, but water leakage was detected. Pumps were started to ensure there would be no additional damage.