An explosion is suspected of causing a fire in a Norwegian cruise ship Thursday that killed two crew members, injured nine other seamen and forced the evacuation of 200 passengers in Norway's Aalesund town.

Some 100 passengers were orderly boarded unto lifeboats of the burning MS Nordlys operated by the Hurtigruten line past 9 a.m. and the remaining 100 passengers and 55 crewmen disembarked at the Aalesund port, where the smoking ship docked. The port is located 375 kilometres northwest of the capital of Oslo near the Russian border.

Crewmen and local firefighters put the ship's fire under control at the port after six hours. The crew is stabilizing the ship, which listed after taking in water.

The Nordlys was cruising Norway's scenic coast the southwestern city of Bergen to the northern city of Kirkenes high above the Arctic Circle when the fire started in the engine room. The fire alarm then sounded and the evacuation of the ship followed within minutes.
Passengers said the evacuation was calm and orderly.

Thick smoke was billowing from the 199-built ship when it docked at the pier of Aalesund port. Police ordered residents to close their windows and ventilation to avoid inhaling the smoke.

The Nordlys was on its sixth day of sailing the 2,500-kilometre route from Bergen tod Kirkenes. The cruise is popular among tourists eager to see Norway's spectacular fjords, mountains, islands and Arctic wildlife.