Early on Saturday morning, a 650-foot ferry heading to Klaipeda, Lithuania, from the German port of Kiel caught fire after an explosion on the upper deck, the Associated Press reported.
"We assume at the moment that it was an accident," Wolfgang Harlos, a spokesman for Germany's Central Command for Maritime Emergencies said.
The fire spread quickly on the Lisco Gloria ferry. The nearby ships, though, responded to their distress call, evacuating all the passengers and crew safely, Deutsche Welle reported.
Despite their unrelenting attempts to put out the flames, fire fighters reported that the ferry was still on fire on Saturday morning, Germany's online English newspaper The Local reported.
Denmark dispatched a vessel specialized in fighting oil spills.
Passengers and crew were taken to a naval base near Kiel, as firefighters fought the flames. About 26 people were injured, mostly from smoke inhalation, with three taken to the hospital by helicopter.
Moreover, rescuers said many, including small children, were traumatized by the experience.
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