Fire on Saint Martin-bound vessel: One employee killed in Cox’s Bazar

A fire broke out on a passenger vessel bound for St Martin Island in Cox’s Bazar, resulting in the tragic death of one crew member. The vessel, MV Atlantic Cruise, was preparing to transport tourists when the incident occurred, but fortunately, 194 passengers waiting at the jetty were unharmed.

The blaze erupted on Saturday morning at approximately 6:45 a.m. local time at the Nuniarchar BIWTA jetty in Cox’s Bazar. Fire services reported that by the time of this report, the flames had been partially contained, with full control efforts ongoing. Two fire service units, along with the Coast Guard and local volunteers, were engaged in containing the fire.

Hosain Islam Bahadur, General Secretary of the Sea Cruise Operator Owners Association of Bangladesh, confirmed the incident. He stated that the MV Atlantic Cruise regularly transports around 200 passengers daily to St Martin. On the day of the incident, the vessel was docked at the jetty in preparation for its morning journey when the fire broke out, rapidly engulfing the entire vessel.

Syed Muhammad Morshed Hossain, Deputy Director of Cox’s Bazar Fire Service and Civil Defence, confirmed the recovery of the body of Nur Kamal, 35, who was sleeping in one of the vessel’s cabins at the time. The cause of the fire remains under investigation, and authorities are assessing whether others were affected.

Khondakar Mahmud Pasha, Deputy Director of the Cox’s Bazar Environmental Department, noted that the fire erupted just 15 minutes before the scheduled departure. “Had the incident occurred later, the consequences could have been far more catastrophic,” he said.

Cox’s Bazar Deputy Commissioner Md. Abdul Mannan, who visited the scene along with senior police officials, confirmed that tourists were saved from significant danger. Tanzeela Tasnim, Executive Officer and Convener of the Vessel Management Committee, added, “The vessel has been completely damaged. Thankfully, no passengers were on board at the time, and those scheduled for travel were accommodated on other vessels.”

Eyewitnesses described scenes of panic among tourists waiting at the jetty. Mir Aslam, a businessman from Dhaka waiting with his family, said, “We were spared from a major disaster. Had this happened even a few minutes later, the outcome could have been tragic.”

On the day of the incident, six vessels—including MV Karnaphuli Express, MV Bar Awlia, MV Carey Sindabad, and MV Atlantic Cruise—departed the jetty with nearly 2,000 tourists heading to St Martin. The vessels are scheduled to return by 3 p.m. after dropping off the visitors. Tourism authorities have allowed daily travel and overnight stays on the island through 31 January, with strict BIWTA and Ministry of Environment regulations in place for ticketing and travel.

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