100 escape fire on river cruise

//100 escape fire on river cruise

D_Regina_Rheni_II-boat.jpgMore than 100 British passengers were evacuated from a River Rhine cruise boat which caught fire in the early hours of yesterday morning. Four were taken to hospital and a total of 10 were treated for breathing problems caused by smoke inhalation. None of the injuries was reported to be life-threatening.
Fire was discovered in a storage room in the galley area of Regina Rheni (above) at about 3.15 am. The 102 passengers – wearing pyjamas and nightdresses – were assembled at the forward part of the vessel from where they were taken to a nearby ferry landing and then driven to Dusseldorf by coach.
They were examined by emergency crews during the 45-minute journey; apart from the four deemed to require hospital treatment, the remainder were taken to a hotel.
One passenger told a local radio interviewer: “We smelled smoke and suddenly a voice cried out; ‘The ship’s on fire! To the muster stations! This is not a drill, repeat, not a drill!’ A lot of us are getting on a bit and there was some confusion, some shouting, a bit of crying. But the crew were brilliant. They really knew what they were doing and got us off in good order.”
Some of the crew of 32 remained on the boat to help firefighters, who took about three hours to extinguish the blaze. Investigations are under way to establish the cause of the fire.
The 110-metre Regina Rheni was built in 2000 and is registered in Amsterdam. It operates under charter to Saga Travel and can carry up to 154 passengers. As well as the Rhine, it also cruises on the Mosel, Main and Danube.
Fares for a one-week Rhone cruise on the boat start at about £1,100, including wine and beer with lunch and dinner. Cabins are described as “compact” and most have a foldaway bed and convertible sofa-bed.
The passengers are expected to return home later today

By | 2017-06-15T15:59:46+00:00 14 July 2012|Cruise News|0 Comments

About the Author:

John Honeywell is a travel writer specialising in cruise ships and cruise travel. Winner of CLIA UK's Contribution to Cruise award 2017.

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