Fire forces Seacat ferry to return to Belfast

The Seacat ferry was forced to return to port this morning after a fire was discovered in the vessel's engine room.

The fire, which broke out shortly after the Seacat left Belfast on its 8am sailing to Heysham, was extinguished and no injuries were reported.

The ferry, which had 244 passengers and 20 crew onboard, turned around and headed back to Belfast. Alternative travel arrangements were made for the passengers on board.

Seacat have announced that a full investigation is to be launched to determine the cause of today’s fire.

The Seacat fire comes just a week after two crew members suffered minor injuries, when a fire broke out on a ferry travelling from King George Dock in Hull to the Belgian port of Zeebrugge.

Almost 700 passengers were on board the Norsea ferry when the fire was discovered in the funnel intake area. Two male crew members had to be airlifted to hospital in Grimsby, but were later discharged. The fire was extinguished by the ship’s crew and continued its journey to Belgium.

Ferry safety standards were also highlighted in May this year, when P&O’s Pride of Rathlin ferry was criticised in a report by European motoring associations. The ferry, which sails from Larne to Cairnryan, was accused of having the lowest standards in the UK. In response, P&O branded the report as “disgraceful”.

(KmcA)