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Cruise passenger arrested after burning his underwear in the ship's brig, 3 crew treated for smoke inhalation

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Three crew members were sent to the hospital for smoke inhalation after a 50-year-old man started a fire in a cruise ship cabin reports the website Yle. The incident happened onboard Viking Line cruise ship Cinderella on Tuesday night when the man light his underwear on fire while he was detained in a brig for drunkenness and placed in a cabin cell.

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He was left in the cabin to sober up with a security officer in front of the door. The smoke detector was activated by the burning underpants and the smoke filled the cabin. Crew members put out the flames with a fire extinguisher and evacuated the intoxicated passenger. Three crew who were at the scene and inhaled smoke were sent to a hospital for a checkup, luckily they were not found to have been harmed. 

Once the ship arrived in the next port-of-call the man was handed over to the local police. Authorities are investigating the incident and the man faces serious charges of sabotage, which is a serious crime in Finland, with a maximum penalty of four years in prison.

Viking Line manager of safety, security and port operations Dan Roberts said the company is taking the incident seriously.