Reports say that a blast in the engine room of a small tourist vessel hurt a crew member and forced hundreds of people to leave the ship.
It happened on the Ocean Navigator of American Queen Voyages, which had stopped in Portland Harbor, Maine.
The seriously hurt employee was transported to the hospital, and 128 people were taken off the ship, according to Sean Donaghue, a spokeswoman for the Portland Fire Department. Local news said that the last 82 people to leave were cruise ship workers.
It’s not known how the employee is doing, but a media outlet said they had burns on their arms.
According to a press release from American Queen Voyages, one crew member was hurt, and he is now getting treatment for his non-life-threatening wounds at a nearby hospital. They’re assisting the fire department here in town to evaluate the damage now that the blaze is under control. Guests are staying at a nearby hotel.
Ocean Navigator is a 286-foot-long cruise ship and can hold 202 people. In the early hours of 7:25 a.m., the power source in the engine caught fire after having just arrived at Ocean Gateway Terminal.
The fire was quickly put out by firefighters from Portland and the ship’s crew. The ship is getting airflow to get rid of the smoke. Local media reported the U.S. Coast Guard has told them that people will not be going back on board.
The owner of the Ocean Navigator, American Queen Voyages, said on Thursday that the ship will not be leaving Portland for St. John, New Brunswick.
A report claims the ship was constructed in 2001 and renovated in 2019.
American Queen Voyages, which is situated in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, is said to provide a variety of cruises on its website. These cruises may be taken on rivers, lakes, or oceans and can take passengers to destinations such as Alaska, Canada, New England, the Southeast, the Great Lakes, Costa Rica, and Mexico.
