Norwegian Ferry Fire Claims Life

Tragedy again has struck the well-established Scandinavian ferry business, as some 1,300 people were safely evacuated from a blazing Prinsesse Ragnhild, a Color Group-owned Norwegian passenger ferry, off Sweden's west coast. Although one person died in the mishap, good weather apparently helped to avert what could have been a major disaster. A 73-year-old Norwegian woman, who suffered heart problems during the dramatic pre-dawn blaze and rescue, died in hospital some eight hours later. The ship was enroute from Kiel, Germany, to Oslo when fire broke out in the engine room shortly after 2 a.m.