Tourist Ship Bound for St. Martin’s Catches Fire

A fire broke out on a St Martin’s Island-bound passenger vessel in Cox’s Bazar on Saturday morning, causing extensive damage to the ship but leaving no one injured.

According to Sea Cruise Operator Owners' Association of Bangladesh (SCOAB) General Secretary Hossain Islam Bahadur, the fire erupted around 7:00am on The Atlantic Cruise while it was anchored at the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) jetty in Nuniachhara area of the district town.

He said smoke was first seen billowing from inside the vessel, followed shortly by visible flames. Fortunately, no passengers were on board at the time, as tourist boarding had not yet begun.

Tanjila Sharmin, Sadar Upazila Nirbahi Officer, said the incident occurred while local administration officials were present at the jetty to oversee tourist boarding in line with government directives.

After receiving the alert, a firefighting unit rushed to the scene and successfully extinguished the blaze. However, the vessel was completely damaged by the fire.

Md Shahidul Alam, Additional District Magistrate of Cox’s Bazar, said an investigation has been launched to determine the cause of the fire.