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Blazing Mallorca ferry safely evacuated

April 28, 2015

Over 150 people have abandoned a ferry that caught fire while on its way from Spain's Palma de Mallorca to Valencia. Three crew members have been injured, officials said.

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Image: picture alliance/dpa

A ferry sailing from the Mediterranean island city of Palma de Mallorca to Valencia on Spain's eastern coast caught fire on Tuesday, forcing 152 passengers to abandon the vessel.

"Everyone has been evacuated," a spokeswoman for ferry company Transmediterranea told AFP news agency. A Spanish coast guard boat along with two ships in the area transported the travelers back to the capital of the Balearic Islands, Mallorca, the port authority said in a statement.

Three crew members who got injured were flown by a helicopter to a hospital.

The ship caught fire about 27 kilometers (17 miles) from Palma de Mallorca, according to a statement by the Spanish development ministry. Photos of the incident showed huge plumes of smoke rising from the boat.

The cause of the blaze was not immediately clear. Media reports said the fire started in the engine room.

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