Which Cruise Ship Caught Fire?

By Michael Ferguson

The cruise ship industry has seen a surge in popularity over the past few years, but one of the biggest headlines recently has been the tragic fire which broke out on board the MSC Opera.

What Happened?
On May 10th, 2019, the MSC Opera was sailing along the Adriatic Sea when a fire broke out in its engine room. An initial investigation found that it may have been caused by a mechanical failure in one of the engines.

The passengers and crew on board were immediately evacuated as soon as it became clear that the fire could not be contained. Luckily, no one was injured in this incident.

The Aftermath
It took firefighters almost eight hours to finally contain and extinguish the blaze, but not before significant damage had been done to both the ship and its onboard equipment. Several cabins were destroyed, along with several decks which were badly burned.

In addition, hundreds of gallons of oil had leaked into the Adriatic Sea during the incident, causing environmental damage and harming several species of marine life in the area. The MSC Opera is currently being repaired and is expected to be back in service later this year.

Conclusion
The MSC Opera is one of many vessels to catch fire in recent years, highlighting a need for increased safety measures across cruise ships to ensure these incidents are minimized or avoided altogether. The passengers and crew on board this ship were thankfully able to evacuate safely before any serious injuries occurred. The MSC Opera will soon be back in service following repairs after being caught on fire due to a mechanical failure in one of its engines.