A fire aboard the World Legacy cruise ship has resulted in one death and four hospitalisations, with nearly 600 people evacuated. The blaze broke out around 4.30am on February 20 in the lounge area as the vessel was sailing towards Singapore.
The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) confirmed that a 23-year-old Indonesian crew member, identified only as PL, died in the incident. His body has been transferred to land, and the Indonesian Embassy has been notified. The cause of the fire remains unknown and is under investigation.
At the time of the fire, the ship carried 271 passengers and 388 crew members. Survivors described smoke-filled decks and a chaotic evacuation. One passenger told The Straits Times: “Everyone panicked, that’s when the loudspeaker announced the fire and asked everyone to move to deck seven.” She added that smoke was already moving onto deck three.
The Singapore Civil Defence Force extinguished the fire six hours after it began, though the crew initially contained it. The MPA set a safety boundary around the ship and issued navigational alerts for other vessels to stay clear. Surveyors will board the vessel to assess damage, while a core crew remains on board to assist with operations and the investigation.
