Fire-stricken ferry returns to Swedish port

A Swedish passenger ferry that was temporarily rendered unmaneuverable following a blaze on the Baltic Sea returned to port on Tuesday, reported Xinhua.

Several vessels and helicopters from Sweden and Finland were dispatched to the waters off the island of Gotland around lunchtime on Monday when a fire started on one of Stena Scandica's car decks.

No casualties were reported, but the fire caused a blackout that prevented the crew from anchoring the vessel, and the 241 passengers and 58 crew onboard soon found themselves drifting in the stiff gale.

A rescue operation was launched when the vessel started drifting towards land, and around 30 people were evacuated before the crew managed to restart the main engine.

Stena Scandica then slowly limped towards the port of Nynashamn south of the Swedish capital, where it arrived at around 11 a.m. local time on Tuesday.

An investigation to determine what caused the fire will now be launched, local media reported.