A fire broke out in the engine room onboard Oceania Cruises’ INSIGNIA around 8:30 a.m. today while the ship was docked in St. Lucia. According to Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, Oceania’s parent company, the fire was contained and extinguished in the engine room.
Passengers aboard the ship say the power went out prior to the evacuation. No passengers were injured, however, one crew member and two contractors did not survive. Additionally, two other crew members were injured and have been taken to the hospital to be treated for smoke inhalation and mild respiratory distress.
The INSIGNIA was on a 10-day cruise that departed San Juan, Puerto Rico, on Sunday and was scheduled to arrive in Miami on Dec. 17. The remainder of the cruise has been canceled. Arrangements for passengers and crew are being made for guests and crew at hotels until transportation to Miami is arranged.
(Featured Image Courtesy “Insignia (ship, 1998) IMO 9156462; in Split, 2011-10-01; (1)” by Ivan T. – Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Commons.)
