World Notes SCANDINAVIA

The ferry route had long been popular for its inexpensive overnight rides from Oslo, Norway, to Frederikshavn, Denmark. Perhaps 495 passengers and crew were aboard the Scandinavian Star on Saturday morning as it chugged through the North Sea's Skagerrak Strait, off the southern coast of Norway. Then, at about 2:30 a.m., two fires broke out on the 10,000-ton Star, killing at least 100 people and leaving scores missing.

The first blaze started on a lower deck of the vessel and was easily extinguished. About 15 minutes later, a second fire erupted one deck above the first, trapping sleeping passengers in their cabins and automobiles. Eventually the flames were beaten down, and the ship was towed into the Swedish port of Lysekil. Star Captain Hugo Larsen reportedly said he was "99% sure" the disaster was caused by arson.