Cruise ship passenger held for sabotage

An intoxicated passenger on board the cruise ship Cinderella of Viking Line set fire to his undergarments late Thursday night, when he was taken to a detention cell for unruly behaviour, reported the national broadcaster Yle quoting the Åland Islands police.

The man, who has no fixed address in Finland, was earlier held for drunkenness.

The incident took place when the Cinderella was on its way to Mariehamn, capital of Åland from Stockholm, Sweden.

In the on-board holding facility, the man reportedly tried to burn his underwear, the Yle report quoted Christoffer Ahlfors of the Åland police as saying.

The smoke detector was activated by the burning undergarment and the crew put out the flames with a fire extinguisher.

Three crew members who inhaled smoke during the incident were taken to hospital and later released unharmed.

The police are investigating the incident and the man is suspected of sabotage.

Such a crime in Finland may cause punishment of four months to four years of imprisonment.