Hawaii Island News

The Coast Guard responded to a call from the cruise ship Norwegian Star this morning at 1:45 a.m. in regards to a disabled 256-ft. Indonesian flag refueling tanker with 12 people onboard that had suffered a major engine room fire. The Norwegian Star was approximately 220 miles south of Hawaii Island, enroute Fanning Island, when they passed the disabled tanker. The tanker launched one red parachute flare and started a small fire on their bow to attract the cruise ship’s attention. The tanker reported to the Norwegian Star that they had the major engine room fire on March 13. The fire crippled their power and they have been adrift since the fire. They have reported that they have one injured crewmember and that another had reportedly perished in the fire.