Yesterday, Saturday 28 December, a fire broke out in a passenger cabin on the DFDS Seaways cruise ferry King Seaways, which was en route from Newcastle to Amsterdam. The incident happened at around about 22:45 and crew acted quickly to contain the fire, which was extinguished within 15 minutes, DFDS Seaways said in a statement.

"We can confirm that there are 946 passengers and 127 crew members onboard. Fifteen passengers and eight crew members are reported to have suffered from smoke-related injuries. They have been checked by a doctor onboard, and two passengers and four crew members have been taken ashore by helicopter for further medical assistance at a local hospital in the UK," the statement continued.

"The ship has now returned to Newcastle (4.30 am GMT) where the police have entered the ship to investigate the cause of the fire. We will ensure that passengers and crew affected by the incident will be offered psychological assistance as well as other assistance that might be needed."