Two days after a fire broke out on a ferry to the Spanish island of Mallorca, many of the 350 passengers affected are still waiting for their vehicles and luggage.
The car ferry Tanacia set sail from Valencia on the Spanish mainland on Sunday evening and was scheduled to arrive on Mallorca on Monday morning, but a fire broke out in the ship's engine room about halfway along the journey, the Italian operator GNV said.
No one was injured in the fire that erupted shortly after midnight. Professional firefighters were flown in by helicopter to help, and the blaze was contained.
However, most of the passengers, including numerous lorry drivers who were travelling on business, never reached the Spanish holiday island.
They were evacuated and brought back to Valencia on Monday because the damaged vessel, on which the passengers' cars and luggage had been left behind, was also towed there.
GNV said on Wednesday that it hoped to be able to provide passengers with an update on their cars and belongings in the coming hours.
GNV provided hotel accommodations, Spanish media reported.
However, according to the newspaper Última Hora and other Mallorcan media, some passengers decided not to wait for GNV to get them to the island and flew to Mallorca on their own. Others cancelled their holiday.
GNV did not respond to an inquiry about how many passengers who were on the stricken ferry are still stuck in limbo in Valencia.
Originally, GNV had assured that all those affected would be taken to Mallorca with their cars and luggage on a replacement ferry on Tuesday.