Cruise ship fire kills 1 crew member, 4 people are hospitalized in Singapore waters

A crew member has died and four passengers were hospitalized after a fire erupted on a cruise ship heading to Singapore early on Feb 20.

There were 271 passengers on board, with 139 of those from Singapore, according to a statement from the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA). 

At around 4 a.m. local time, the MPA was notified about a fire on the World Legacy ship, a news release said. 

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There were 338 crew members on the vessel at the time.

The crew worked to extinguish the fire as passengers evacuated at HarbourFront Ferry Terminal. 

A crew member has died and four passengers were injured in the cruise fire. (Roslan Rahman/AFP )

Singapore Civil Defence Force’s (SCDF) firefighters stopped the fire, which occurred in the lounge area on deck nine, according to The Straits Times.

“I panicked for a moment.”

All 271 passengers were safely evacuated, MPA said — though at least four were transferred to a hospital.

A passenger took to Instagram to discuss the fire. 

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“We are on board. Was scary. Rescue efforts took longer,” the traveler wrote.

“We heard the warning sound. [We] were rushed to deck 7 & 8. As [we] climbed up, the smoke became denser and denser,” the passenger continued. 

“One uncle fractured his ribs.”

The crew succeeded in extinguishing the fire, according to reports.  (Roslan Rahman/AFP )

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“The crew helped to almost contain the fire … It was messy.”

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One crew member, who started working for World Legacy a few months ago, spoke to AsiaOne on the condition of anonymity.

All 271 passengers were safely evacuated. (Roslan Rahman/AFP)

“I panicked for a moment,” he said as he talked about the fire.

Another crew member told AsiaOne, “They did not want to tell us at the start because they [didn’t] want us to panic.”

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“The deceased crew member, an Indonesian national, has been transferred ashore,” the MPA said in a statement.

“The relevant authorities are handling the necessary follow-up, and the Indonesian embassy in Singapore has been informed.”

The statement continued, “MPA has established a safety zone around the vessel and is issuing navigational broadcasts to advise passing vessels to keep clear. The cause of the fire is under investigation.”