Many others who were in cabins were trapped, and prevented from exiting the ship because the portholes were not big enough for a person to get through, so many were suffocated or incinerated. Saale eventually sank, and when she was raised the charred remains of 99 victims were recovered.
This passage describes a tragedy where a ship sank, trapping its passengers and causing numerous deaths due to limited porthole sizes.  The incident highlights the dangers of inadequate safety measures on ships.