A fire alarm on an Auckland ferry this evening has seen passengers evacuated and emergency services flock to downtown Auckland.
It was initially understood that there was a fire in the generator room of the ferry at around 5.35pm as it travelled between downtown Auckland and Half Moon Bay.
However, there was no fire onboard, and the alarm was triggered by an issue with the ferry's exhaust system that caused smoke and some steam, the ferry's operator Fullers360 confirmed.
"With a proactive response from our professionally trained crew, the situation was well managed in line with standard procedure," CEO Mike Horne said.
Three Fire and Emergency New Zealand appliances were sent to Queens Wharf, and crews were able to get all the passengers off safely.
Auckland Transport (AT) spokesperson Blake Crayton-Brown told 1News the ferry had been in the channel near Mission Bay at the time of the incident.
It was then escorted back to the Downtown Ferry Terminal by a Coast Guard vessel, Crayton-Brown said.
He said AT will be working with Fullers360 over coming days to "get a better understanding of what caused the incident, how it was managed and how incidents like this can be prevented in future."
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