Fire Erupts Aboard Alaskan Cruise Ship

A fire broke out aboard a Dutch cruise ship carrying nearly 1,700 passengers and crew as it steamed through Glacier Bay National Park last Tuesday morning, the U.S. Coast Guard said. No one was seriously injured. The fire aboard the Holland America Nieuw Amsterdam was reported at 9:40 a.m. and doused within 45 minutes, the Coast Guard said. The blaze was confined to the rear section of the ship, in the crew quarters and below the main passenger deck. One person sustained minor injuries that were attributed to the fire. "A passenger was disoriented, fell and hit his head," said Coast Guard Petty Officer Mitchell Fletcher. A four-person team, including a vessel inspector, an investigator, a firefighting expert and a park ranger, was dispatched to the ship to investigate the blaze, the Coast Guard said. The ship carried 1,169 passengers and 542 crew members, Wilson said.