Update: Fire aboard Caribbean Fantasy Still Active

A fire which started aboard the 561-foot ferry Caribbean Fantasy on August 17 is still active and the authorities are developing a vessel salvage plan, according to the United States Coast Guard.

The fire reportedly began in the engine room of the ship and spread to other compartments on board.

A Unified Command team, consisting of the coast guard, Caribbean Fantasy’s owner Baja Ferries, and other agencies, is responding to the incident some half a mile off of Punta Salinas.

USCG earlier said that marine inspectors, along with salvage and fire fighting teams, were scheduled to board the vessel on Thursday to assess damage and determine its stability.

Although there were no reports of sheening or pollution in the area after the 1989-built ship grounded off Punta Salinas, a 1,000-yard safety zone around was established and booming has been deployed at the intakes for the Palo Seco Power Plant as a precautionary measure against potential discharge from the ferry.

All 511 passengers and crewmembers from the Panamanian-flagged ship were safely disembarked earlier and brought to San Juan’s Pier 6.