Stena Line sailings cancelled after firefighters attend blaze on Belfast ferry

The ferry operator has confirmed the fire broke out in the exhaust system of their Superfast VII vessel and said the fire was brought under control by the crew itself before emergency services were called as a precaution.

No passengers were on board at the time of the incident.

The cancelled services affected included the 07:30 sailing from Belfast to Cairnryan and the upcoming 11:30 sailing in the opposite direction.

The Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) said they were called to the incident at the ship docked in the Victoria Terminal shortly after 5am.

The fire has since been extinguished, it has been confirmed.

NIFRS said an investigation into the incident is now underway.

An NIFRS spokesperson said: “NIFRS were called to reports of a fire on board a ship at the Victoria Terminal, West Bank Road, Belfast at 05:13hrs on Sunday 25th September 2022.

"There are currently 13 Fire Appliances & 61 Fire-fighters in attendance including the NIFRS Specialist Marine Response Team.

“The fire is now extinguished with investigations ongoing.”