North Sea passenger ferry hit by fire
RAF helicopters were sent to aid the rescue effort (file picture) A number of crew members and passengers have been flown to hospital following a fire on board a ferry in the North Sea, off the East Yorkshire coast.
Operator DFDS said two passengers and four crew had been winched off the MS King Seaways - 30 miles off Flamborough Head - with "smoke-related injuries".
DFDS said the boat, which had 946 passengers and 127 crew on board, was returning to port in Tyneside.
A passenger suspected of starting the fire has been detained by ferry staff.
Some 15 passengers and eight staff were checked onboard by a doctor, DFDS added in a statement.
It said the fire had started at about 22:45 GMT on Saturday but was extinguished within 15 minutes.
The ferry is expected to arrive in North Shields at about 04:30 GMT.
The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA), which earlier said six crew members and a passenger had been airlifted to hospital, said it would survey the ferry for any lasting damage.
The MCA's Jo Rawlings told BBC News conditions for the rescue had been "fairly calm".
Those winched off the ferry had been airlifted to Scarborough and no-one was seriously injured, she said.
Cabin fireHelicopters from RAF Leconfield and RAF Boulmer were sent to the scene.
Sqn Ldr Dave Webster said that when the RAF had been called for assistance, it was initially thought 23 people would need to be winched to safety but that figure was later downgraded.
RAF crew had lifted those affected off the ferry within an hour.
Two lifeboats sent from Bridlington and Filey to help with the rescue operation have since been stood down, the RNLI tweeted.
Inspector Andrew Dixon, of Humberside police, said: "At approximately 11pm the Maritime and Coastguard agency informed Humberside Police that a passenger ferry en route from Newcastle to Holland had suffered an incident whereby a passenger is believed to have set fire to a cabin.
"It is unknown if the fire was started deliberately or accidentally.
"As a result of this incident, the person suspected of causing the fire, or the person from the cabin where the fire occurred, be it deliberate or accidental, has been detained by ship staff."
Ferry operator DFDS Seaways runs a daily 17:00 GMT service from North Shields, arriving in Ijmuiden, the Netherlands, at 08:30 GMT (09:30 local time).
According to its website, the 26-year-old vessel has room for more than 1,500 passengers and 600 cars. It was renovated in 2006.
It offers entertainment including restaurants, bars, a nightclub and a casino.
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