Stena Line Ferry Crew Praised for Averting Disaster in Fire Incident

The crew of the Stena Line ferry, Stena Scandica, is being praised for their actions in averting disaster after a fire broke out on the vehicle deck, causing the ship to lose power and drift for six and a half hours. The blaze occurred on August 29, 2022, as the ferry was sailing between Nynäshamn, Sweden, and Ventspils, Latvia, with 241 passengers and 58 crew members on board. Despite bringing the fire under control within an hour, the ship’s power supply system failed, causing a loss of directional control, GPS, and AIS.

As a result of the power failure, the ship was left without fire pumps, anchors stuck on the winches, and no navigational equipment. Passengers were eventually evacuated by helicopter, and the crew was able to restore propulsion and steering, allowing the ship to return to Nynäshamn. Investigators found that the fire had affected critical electrical infrastructure due to a lack of fire protection and redundancy.

The incident highlighted the need to ensure the robustness of a ship’s electrical system and the importance of human skill and adaptability in remedying failures and shortcomings of the ship’s systems. The report concluded that human performance can play a crucial role in addressing such emergencies.

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