Man charged over DFDS ferry fire

A man from England was charged with arson after a fire on a ferry from Newcastle to IJmuiden, a port city in the Dutch province of North Holland. DFDS Seaways / Wikipedia The fire injured six people who were airlifted to hospital. Four passengers and two members of the crew suffered smoke inhalation, and were airlifted to area hospitals by the U.K. Royal Air Force. Two of those transported by helicopter are from the Netherlands. All six have since been released from treatment. Another 15 other passengers and eight crew members were treated by a doctor on the ferry. The DFDS Seaways ferry was carrying 946 passengers and 127 crew members. According to Northumbria Police, Boden George Hughes, from Sunderland, had been charged with arson reckless to endangering life and affray. He will appear before magistrates in North Shields on Tuesday, BBC News reports. Another man, who was also arrested on suspicion of affray, was released on bail, BBC said. DFDS said it was doing "everything to help" passengers complete their journey from Tyneside. A spokesman told the BBC that all customers who did not reach the Netherlands would get a refund.