MADRID – A ferry heading from the Mediterranean island city of Palma de Mallorca to the southern coastal city of Valencia caught fire at sea Tuesday, forcing 152 passengers to abandon the ship in lifeboats and injuring three crew members, Spanish officials said.
The fire broke out when the ship was about 27 kilometres (17 miles) from Palma de Mallorca, Spain’s Development Ministry said in a statement, and images showed huge plumes of smoke billowing from the vessel.
All of the passengers made it safely into lifeboats and were picked up by another ferry, according to the ministry and port authorities for Spain’s Balearic Islands.
One of the ferry’s five crew members suffered serious injuries and two other crew members had minor injuries, port authorities said in their statement without providing further details. They were taken to a hospital in a helicopter.
The ferry transporting the passengers was expected to arrive back in Palma de Mallorca Tuesday night.
The burning ferry was expected to sink and the cause of the fire was under investigation.
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