
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: MONDAY, April 9, 1990                   TAG: 9004090024
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL                    PAGE: A8   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: The New York Times and The Associated Press
DATELINE: OSLO, NORWAY                                LENGTH: Medium

ARSON SUSPECTED IN FERRY FIRE

Opening an arson investigation into the ferry fire Saturday that killed as many as 135 people, the Norwegian police said Sunday they were checking for links between the pre-dawn blaze and earlier North Sea ferry fires, at least one of which was deliberately set.

The assistant chief of police, Magnar Aukrust, said the authorities began examining arson as a possible cause after the captain, members of the crew and some passengers of the Scandinavian Star said they believed the fire was set deliberately.

But Aukrust said the police had uncovered no motive for arson in the fire on the Danish-owned ferry, which was making an overnight trip from Oslo to the Danish port of Frederikshavn.

Meanwhile, firefighters braved metal-melting heat and poisonous smoke to begin removing the victims' bodies Sunday.

The heat was so intense it melted aluminum aboard the bridge of the ship. Firefighters in masks and breathing equipment fought through one corridor "until their gear started to burn," said fire consultant Olle Wennstrom.

Firefighters were seen leaving the ship in tears during the night. Each firefighting team underwent psychological care after being relieved, officials said.

The blaze, which finally was extinguished late Sunday, sent plumes of smoke over Lysekil, on Sweden's southwest coast 250 miles southwest of Stockholm, the capital on the east coast.

In Oslo, police said six American musicians were among the rescued.

Onso said a burned passenger list was found in the debris but did not tally with the captain's account, and its accuracy was unclear.

Tickets were sold to car passengers according to the size of the car, not the number of people each was carrying. Children traveling free would not appear on any passenger list.

by CNB