Fire engulfs Saint Martin-bound ship at Teknaf jetty, one crew member killed
A devastating fire broke out on the Saint Martin-bound ship The Atlantic Cruise at the BIWTA jetty in Nuniyachhara, Cox’s Bazar, this morning, leaving one crew member dead while 194 waiting tourists escaped unharmed.
The victim, Nur Kamal (35), a crew member of the vessel, was asleep in a cabin when the fire started and his body was later recovered completely charred, fire service officials said.
The incident occurred around 7:00 am on Saturday (27 December) as the ship was anchoring at the jetty to pick up passengers for Saint Martin. Firefighting efforts are still underway, involving two units of the Fire Service and Civil Defence, along with Coast Guard and administrative volunteers.
Cox’s Bazar Fire Service and Civil Defence Deputy Assistant Director Syed Muhammad Morshed Hossain confirmed that the crew member’s fully burnt body was recovered from a cabin. He added that search operations are continuing to check if anyone else is trapped, while the cause of the fire is yet to be determined.
General Secretary of the Sea Cruise Owners Association Hussain Islam Bahadur told Dhaka Post that 194 tourists were scheduled to board the vessel today for Saint Martin. Fortunately, no passengers had boarded yet and were waiting at the jetty. A portion of the passengers has been sent to Saint Martin on another ship according to capacity, while the rest will travel tomorrow.
One of the waiting passengers, Mohammad Obaidul Islam, said: “We were fortunate not to have boarded. Allah saved us. Watching the ship engulfed in flames with my own eyes was a terrifying experience.”
The administration has formed an investigation committee to probe the incident. Executive Magistrate and Sadar Upazila Nirbahi Officer Tanzila Tasnim said the cause – whether mechanical failure or something else – is being investigated, and details will be shared later.
Saint Martin–Cox’s Bazar route operations resumed on 1 December, with six ships permitted to carry a maximum of 2,000 tourists daily, subject to 12 strict safety guidelines.
