A fire broke out onboard the Liberia-registered Ro-Ro passenger ship World Legacy on Friday (Feb 20), at about 4:00am (Singapore time), which was en route to Singapore, according to the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA). In a media statement on Friday morning, MPA said all 271 passengers from the vessel have been safely evacuated.
There were 271 passengers onboard the ship at the time of the incident, of whom 139 are Singaporeans.
There were also 388 crew members onboard, none of whom are Singaporeans. As stated by MPA Singapore, a crew member is reported deceased. The deceased crew member, an Indonesian national, has been transferred ashore. The relevant authorities are handling the necessary follow up, and the Indonesian embassy in Singapore has been informed.
There were no reported injuries among the other crew members and passengers, according to the MPA.
The authority, in a third update issued on Friday, said the fire – based on preliminary investigations – occurred at the lounge area on deck nine of the vessel. Investigations into the cause of the fire are ongoing.
The fire has been put under control by the crew shortly after. The MPA, in a second update, said the fire, which occurred on deck nine of the Liberia-registered passenger vessel World Legacy, has been extinguished by SCDF Marine firefighters.
The vessel is reportedly in a stable condition and is anchored at Raffles Reserved Anchorage. According to MPA, its patrol craft, along with the Police Coast Guard and the SCDF Marine Division are attending to the vessel.
MPA has established a safety zone around the vessel and is issuing navigational broadcasts to advise passing vessels to keep clear.
In its second update, the authority said the first group of 190 passengers disembarked at HarbourFront Ferry Terminal. SCDF paramedics and emergency medical technicians were on site to provide medical support if needed.
Meanwhile, a core crew remained onboard the vessel to conduct safety checks, carry out essential vessel operations, support investigations, and ensure the safe management of the vessel while at anchor. “The rest of the crew will be disembarked progressively,” the MPA said on Friday.
In another update, the MPA said passengers who required medical attention were attended to by paramedics. SCDF has conveyed four passengers to the hospital for further medical assessment.
Classification society surveyors engaged by the vessel’s owners will board the ship to assess the extent of damage and the repairs to be carried out before returning to service.
