SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — A crew member and two contractors died Thursday when a fire broke out aboard a luxury cruise ship docked at the eastern Caribbean island of St Lucia, officials said.
Some 650 passengers aboard the Oceania Insignia were evacuated safely and the remainder of the cruise was cancelled, Oceania Cruises said in a statement.
Two other crew members were hospitalized, but their condition was not immediately known. Michael Hicks, a spokesman for Oceania Cruises, did not return additional requests for comment.
It is unclear what caused the fire, which began in the engine room and was contained. The US National Transportation Safety Board said it was sending officials to help with the investigation, which was being led by the Marshall Islands, where the ship is registered.
St Lucia police declined to comment, and the island’s fire officials could not be reached for comment.
The Insignia had departed San Juan, Puerto Rico, on Sunday for a 10-day cruise and was scheduled to arrive in Miami on December 17.
The ship was built in 1998 and underwent a multimillion-dollar refurbishing earlier this year. It rejoined the Oceania fleet in May after operating as a charter for two years, according to Oceania, whose parent company is Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings. The Insignia has 400 crew members, and its officers and staff are European.