On Saturday, guests upon a Rhine River cruise were forced to evacuate after the engine room caught fire.
Passengers onboard the CroisiEurope's MS Gerard Schmitter river cruise ship got a bit of a surprise when their ship caught on fire around 9 p.m. as it was docking in the German port of Krefeld. A cable in the engine room of the ship caught fire, causing heavy, billowing smoke to pass through the boat, reported Seatrade Insider.
The ship, heading from Amsterdam, Netherlands to Strasbourg, France contained 154 primarily French passengers and 34 crew members. All were evacuated from the ship when it docked and accommodated by a nearby restaurant and two town busses.
Two Krefeld fire response teams came to the dock, boarded the ship and quickly put out the fire. By 10:30 p.m., the passengers and crew were able to return on board the ship.
There were no serious injuries in the incident but one female passenger did suffer from shock. She was met by emergency services and taken to a local hospital. One crew member also needed medical treatment for minor injuries, reported USA Today.
The ship was approved to set sail by local police, but it was remaining in Krefeld until Monday as there was an estimated $65,000 in damage to be repaired. There was no word on whether the ship owner's would let the ship continue to sail, reported USA Today.
The Gerard Schmitter, owned by the French company CroisiEurope, has only been in service for two months. It was first debuted in April. It was named in honor of the late CroisiEurope founder who died in February. The ship has three decks, is 360 feet long, 37 feet wide, and can carry 176 passengers in its 88 cabins, making it small enough to travel though the Rhine River.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
