Fire on cruise ship in Alaska prompts evacuations
The Wilderness Discoverer vessel. (Credit: UnCruise)
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) - A fire in the engine room of a small cruise ship in Alaska’s Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve prompted the evacuation of dozens of passengers and crew on Monday. No injuries were reported, and the fire was extinguished, the U.S. Coast Guard said.
The fire on board the Wilderness Discoverer was reported to the Coast Guard around 7:30 a.m. UnCruise Adventures, which operates the ship, said 78 passengers and crew members were on board at the time.
All 51 passengers and most crew members were removed from the ship and placed on another cruise ship in the area, the Coast Guard said. Eleven crew members remained with the Wilderness Discoverer, which was expected to be towed to Ketchikan.
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UnCruise Adventures said the cause of the fire was under investigation. The company said it would provide full refunds to affected passengers.
"We are relieved to confirm that there have been no injuries resulting from the fire. Our highly trained crew promptly extinguished the fire using established emergency protocols, and CO2 was successfully deployed for everyone's safety," company Owner & CEO, Captain Dan Blanchard said in a news release.