In the early hours of Monday, July 8, a fire broke out in the engine room of the ferry Tenacia, which was servicing the route from Valencia to Palma de Mallorca. The fire started around 2.15 am when the ship was approximately 22 miles from Ibiza and 53 miles from the western tip of Mallorca.
All 350 passengers on board the Tenacia were safely evacuated and transferred to another ship operated by the same company, GNV, which transported them back to Valencia. The evacuation was conducted to prevent further inconvenience for the passengers. Two ships were deployed for this operation, and all passengers had arrived safely by 9.30 pm.
Firefighting efforts and next steps
Thirty-one crew members and six firefighters remain on board the damaged ship to control the fire. Three firefighting teams from the Generalitat of Catalonia were brought to the ship by helicopter to assist with the firefighting efforts. Salvamento Marítimo mobilised the rescue vessels Acrux and Libertas and the tugs Mesana and Marta Mata. The ship will eventually be towed back to Valencia by a private vessel hired by the ferry company.
No injuries reported
Fortunately, no injuries were reported in the incident. The ship, which was originally scheduled to arrive in Palma at 5.00 am on Monday and then depart for Barcelona at 10.00 am, will now be towed back to Valencia.
GNV emphasised that the safety protocol was activated immediately after the fire broke out, and passengers were taken to designated assembly points. All passengers and crew members remained unharmed during the incident.