MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica, March 23, 2006
Night Fire Terrifies Cruise Passengers
1 Dead, 11 Injured After Flames Char Ship Bound For Jamaica
-
-
Passengers of the Star Princess cruise ship watch from the deck while approaching the port of Montego Bay, in the northern coast of Jamaica, March 23, 2006. (AP/The Jamaica Observer)
-
The Star Princess cruise ship, with some clearly scorched cabins, is pictured while approaching the port of Montego Bay, in the northern coast of Jamaica, March 23, 2006. (AP/The Jamaica Observer)
-
The Star Princess is shown after about 150 cabins were damaged in a fire. (CVM Communications Group)
-
-
Interactive Tragedy At Sea Some of the worst and most notorious sea disasters, plus noteworthy accidents on U.S. rivers and lakes.
-
Photo Essay 'Star Princess' Fire A Caribbean vacation aboard a huge cruise ship turns deadly withan early-morning blaze
-
Fast Facts Jamaica Learn about the people, economy and history.
The
About 85 exterior cabins were blackened from the fire, a stark contrast to the otherwise gleaming white exterior of the ship. Metal was twisted, evidence of the heat of the blaze.
"We consider ourselves very lucky," Klemens Fass, of Toronto, Canada, told The Associated Press after he and his wife were evacuated with other some passengers. "When we got out of our stateroom ... there was someone lying in the hallway passed out. He was being attended to but it was very, very scary."
A smoldering cigarette is suspected of being the cause of the blaze, said Horace Peterkin, president of the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association, who toured the ship after it docked here.
Passengers grabbed life jackets and raced to "muster stations" after the blaze started about 3 a.m., said Julie Benson, spokeswoman for Princess Cruises, which is owned by Miami-based Carnival Corp. The crew put out the fire, then did a cabin-by-cabin search to check for victims and make sure everyone else was safe, she said.
Richard Liffidge, 75, of the U.S. state of Georgia, collapsed and died on deck, said Karl Angell, communications director for the Jamaican police. The victim's wife was taken to a hospital in Montego Bay, Angell said.
Benson said about 100 cabins were affected by the fire, though Peterkin put the number at around 150.
Benson said the company has reached no conclusions about the cause of the blaze.
The Star Princess was sailing from Grand Cayman to Jamaica when the blaze started. Reportedly built at a cost of more than $430 million, it has four swimming pools, a half-dozen restaurants and dining rooms, a casino, two theaters, and several nightclubs. It stretches about three football fields long.
©MMVI, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
More From World
