Caribbean Fantasy Fire. Photo via Policia Puerto Rico
The Coast Guard responded Wednesday morning to a fire aboard the 561-foot passenger/cargo vessel Caribbean Fantasy, approximately 2 nautical miles north of San Juan Harbor in Puerto Rico.
The vessel later ran about half a nautical mile offshore of Punta Salinas.
All 511 passengers and crew were evacuated and taken to Pier 6 in San Juan port.
At approximately 7:42 a.m., Coast Guard Sector San Juan received a report of a fire aboard a Panamanian-flagged passenger/cargo ship carrying 512 passengers, including crew en route to Dominican Republic. The number of people on board was later determined to be 511.
There are no reports of injuries at this time.
The Coast Guard said the ship grounded at approximately 10:21 a.m. The Coast Guard has established a 1,000-yard safety zone around the vessel. There were no reports of sheening or pollution around the vessel.
The fire reportedly began in the engine room of the ship and spread to other compartments on board.
Multiple air and surface crews responded Wednesday including two Coast Guard 33-foot Special Purpose Craft crews and one 45-foot Response Boat Medium crews out of Coast Guard Station San Juan. Also on-scene was the Coast Guard Cutter Joseph Tezanos and a small boat from the Coast Guard Cutter Donald Horsley. Additional assets were diverted to assist, including the Puerto Rico Joint Forces of Action (FURA), fire, pilot and tug boats from the port.
According to Equasis the Caribbean Fantasy the 187.13 meter (614 ft) ship was built in 1989, is classified by Bureau Veritas and is registered in Panama. The vessel is operated by America Cruise Ferries which offers three weekly sailings from San Juan, Puerto Rico to Santo Domingo / Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
A Unified Command comprised of federal, state and industry agencies and organizations has been established at Coast Guard Sector San Juan to manage the incident and salvage efforts of the Caribbean Fantasy.
Updated: August 19, 2016 (Originally published August 17, 2016)
Sign up for gCaptain’s newsletter and never miss an update
Essential maritime and offshore news, insights, and updates delivered daily straight to your inbox
The U.S. Coast Guard’s sole heavy icebreaker, the Polar Star, has returned to its homeport of Seattle after completing a months-long Antarctic deployment supporting critical resupply operations for U.S. research stations.
The U.S. Coast Guard has issued a request for information (RFI) as it moves forward with plans to acquire up to seven new light icebreakers to replace an aging fleet and ensure year-round navigation in ice-prone waterways across the Northeast and Great Lakes.
A U.S.-sanctioned oil tanker was attacked off Oman's coast near the Strait of Hormuz, injuring four crew members. The strike marks the first attack on Oman targets amid escalating Iran-Gulf state tensions.
Subscribe to gCaptain Daily and stay informed with the latest global maritime and offshore news
Essential news coupled with the finest maritime content sourced from across the globe.
Sign Up
Join The Club
