Firefighters in the city of Rostock in Germany facilitated the evacuation of passengers and crew from a berthed ferry after an incident involving a hazardous substance occurred on board on Wednesday, September 16.
The Stena Line-operated Ro-Pax ferry Mecklenburg-Vorpommern was at the Port of Rostock preparing to depart for Trelleborg in Sweden when a still unidentified liquid chemical leaked from an embarked rail car.
All 160 passengers and the majority of the crew were safely evacuated while the captain and a few others remained on board. Local news outlet NDR reported that four people suffered minor injuries.
The extent of the leak has not yet been determined. However, NDR said that some passengers had complained of respiratory problems.
Emergency services personnel wearing protective equipment boarded the ferry later in the day on Wednesday while the area of the port around the vessel has been declared off-limits.
Mecklenburg-Vorpommern's scheduled departure for Trelleborg at 15:00 local time on Wednesday was cancelled.