Caribbean Fantasy ferry off Puerto Rico reported a fire
Response continues to vessel fire off San Juan Harbor, two pets still missing
Aug 18th, 2016
The Caribbean Fantasy had a fire start in the engine room that spread to other compartments forcing passengers and crew to abandon the vessel. U.S. Coast Guard photo courtesy of Station San Juan, Puerto Rico.
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — The Unified Command continued to respond Thursday to a fire aboard the 561-foot passenger ferry vessel Caribbean Fantasy approximately half a mile off of Punta Salinas.
It has been reported that five pets were rescued Wednesday along with their owners. Two pets may still be aboard the Caribbean Fantasy. The status of those two pets is unknown.
The fire aboard the Caribbean Fantasy is still active. The fire reportedly began in the engine room of the ship and spread to other compartments on board. An attempt to locate and rescue the two pets will be made once it is determined to be safe for rescue teams to enter the vessel.
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A passenger/car ferry has been reported on fire off Puerto Rico (Twitter/ Policia Puerto Rico )
Updated 28 mins ago
SAN JUAN HARBOR, Puerto Rico -- The ship Caribbean Fantasy reported a fire after it launched from Santo Domingo en route to San Juan Wednesday.
According to the United States Coast Guard, around 7:42 a.m., the USCG received 911 call, reporting a fire that started in the engine room. A rescue is underway with passengers preparing to abandon ship.
The crew also is abandoning ship and there are reports of people in the water.
The ship, described by the Coast Guard as a passenger/car ferry, is 1 mile off San Juan Harbor with 512 passengers on board.
Local rescue crews and air support also are responding.
Caribbean Fantasy is not a cruise ship, but a very large ferry with cabins for overnight stays for trips between Santo Domingo and San Juan.
The ship has seven levels, three of which are open to the public, 140 private cabins and 450 seats. There is a casino, piano bar, swimming pool, nightclub and a collection of duty free shops on board as well.
Some tweets showing the ship on fire: