Do you remember our recent blog post about the Carnival cruise ship Triumph which became stranded at sea when a fire started on board? While the passengers were never in real danger, it is safe to say that conditions were unexpected. The food supply was low, bathroom facilities were out of order, and people were sleeping in the halls. With many San Antonio residents on board, this story became headlines in the local area for a few days.
The U.S. Coast Guard is reporting that the fire started due to a leak in a fuel-oil return line. When the oil came in contact with a hot surface it led to the fire. At this time, there is no reason to believe that the leak in the hose was intentional.
Teresa Hatfield, the lead investigator for the Coast Guard, had this to say about the ongoing investigation:
“Fire suppression was immediately activated by the crew, first by waterfog and then by (carbon dioxide). They did a very good job.” “We are looking at the cause of the fire and why the ship was disabled for so long, and we are also looking at the crew response to the fire as well.”
Despite the fact that this was not what passengers signed up for, it is good to know that the crew of the cruise ship was able to take care of the fire before it posed any real threat to those on board. With more than 4,200 people on board at the time of the fire, including 3,100 passengers, a spreading fire could have led to disaster.
Although it took a couple of days, the Triumph was finally towed to Mobile, Alabama where passengers were able to end their misery. If you or somebody you know was a passenger on the Carnival cruise ship, feel free to share your thoughts in the comment section below.
