Night Fire Terrifies Cruise Passengers

(CBS/AP)  Fire broke out aboard a giant cruise ship Thursday as it sailed through the moonlit Caribbean, killing a passenger, injuring 11 other people and scorching about 100 rooms.

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.

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