Crewmember Killed in Fire Aboard Tourist Boat in Bangladesh

tourist boat fire — The fire aboard the tourist boat kielld one crewmember

A crewmember was killed during a fast-moving fire that destroyed a tourist boat in Bangladesh that is used to transport passengers to the country’s only coral reef island. The vessel named Atlantic Cruise was berthed in the southeastern city of Cox’s Bazar when the fire began at around 0620 local time on December 27.

Firefighters were assisted by the Bangladesh Navy in fighting the blaze, which is believed to have begun in the engine room of the 30-meter-long (98-foot) passenger tourist boat. The authorities reported it took nearly two hours to control the fire and several more to completely extinguish the flames, which encompassed much of the boat. The vessel’s owner told the media that they thought it was an electrical short.

According to local reports, the boat had just reached the port and was preparing to board 194 tourists bound for Saint Martin’s Island, a popular tourist destination offshore near the border with Myanmar (Burma). Luckily, embarkation had not begun when smoke was observed coming from the vessel.

Local residents using trawlers and speedboats were able to rescue 15 crewmembers from the burning boat. Fire crews later found the body of a missing 25-year-old crewmember. He had worked the night shift, and they believed he was sleeping and trapped in his cabin when the fire began.

The local authorities formed an investigation committee. It has been ordered to provide an initial report within seven days.

Media reports said the tourist service between Cox’s Bazar and Saint Martin had only resumed on December 1. They report six vessels had been authorized under 12 safety guidelines to carry up to a total of 2,000 tourists daily.

Bangladesh has a history of tragic incidents with its ferries. A December 2021 fire killed and injured over 140 people aboard a ferry operating an overnight run on the Sugandha River from the capital city of Dhaka to Barguna. There were three other incidents in 2021 involving collisions and groundings that also killed passengers.