A hovercraft ferry suffered an engine fire as it was about to depart Portsmouth in the UK on Wednesday, June 24.
The Hovertravel-operated Island Flyer was preparing to sail out of Southsea's Clarence Pier on a scheduled voyage to Ryde on the Isle of Wight when the crew noticed smoke coming out of the vessel's engine room at around 17:30 local time.
The crew then immediately implemented safety procedures including the disembarkation of all 31 passengers onto the pier.
Personnel from the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service (HIWFRS) were deployed to the pier upon receiving reports of smoke. However, an HIWFRS official said that the ferry's onboard suppression system had already extinguished the blaze by the time first responders arrived at the scene.
The responding firefighters then assisted in cooling the ferry's engine compartment and in monitoring the vessel and the surrounding area. The fire crews left the scene and returned to their respective stations about an hour later.
A spokesman for Hovertravel has assured that the fire on Island Flyer was "an isolated occurrence" and that the company's service between Southsea and Ryde resumed at 18:30 on Thursday, June 25.