Fatal fire engulfs cruise ship with hundreds of passengers aboard: ‘I panicked'
A crew member has died and four passengers were hospitalized after a fire erupted on a cruise ship heading to Singapore early on Feb 20.
There were 271 passengers on board, with 139 of those from Singapore, according to a statement from the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA).
At around 4 a.m. local time, the MPA was notified about a fire on the World Legacy ship, a news release said.
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There were 338 crew members on the vessel at the time.
The crew worked to extinguish the fire as passengers evacuated at HarbourFront Ferry Terminal.
Singapore Civil Defence Force’s (SCDF) firefighters stopped the fire, which occurred in the lounge area on deck nine, according to The Straits Times.
All 271 passengers were safely evacuated, MPA said — though at least four were transferred to a hospital.
A passenger took to Instagram to discuss the fire.
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"We are on board. Was scary. Rescue efforts took longer," the traveler wrote.
"We heard the warning sound. [We] were rushed to deck 7 & 8. As [we] climbed up, the smoke became denser and denser," the passenger continued.
"One uncle fractured his ribs."
"The crew helped to almost contain the fire ... It was messy."
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One crew member, who started working for World Legacy a few months ago, spoke to AsiaOne on the condition of anonymity.
"I panicked for a moment," he said as he talked about the fire.
Another crew member told AsiaOne, "They did not want to tell us at the start because they [didn't] want us to panic."
"The deceased crew member, an Indonesian national, has been transferred ashore," the MPA said in a statement.
"The relevant authorities are handling the necessary follow-up, and the Indonesian embassy in Singapore has been informed."
The statement continued, "MPA has established a safety zone around the vessel and is issuing navigational broadcasts to advise passing vessels to keep clear. The cause of the fire is under investigation."