Posted on 05/25/2003 6:55:29 AM PDT by fightinJAG
Explosion on cruise ship kills 2, injures 20 By RICHARD BRAND rbrand@herald.com
A boiler room explosion aboard the SS Norway, docked in the port of Miami-Dade, killed two and injured at least 20 crew members and startled tourists returning from a one-week carribean vacation.
The blast does not appear to be an act of terrorism, just ''an unfortunate accident,'' according to a senior Miami-Dade police officer.
However, additional police were moved to the port as a precaution.
Nearly 50 Fire-Rescue units from Miami-Dade County, city of Miami, and Miami Beach responded to the explosion, which occured around 6:30 a.m.
The injured were carried out in stretchers, some of them severly burned and wrapped in sterile, protective sheets.
Passenger Kathleen Ditty, 26, said the explosion shook her room and shut down the boat's power and lights.
''We didn't know what it was, and then the lights went out in the hallway,'' she said.
''There was on thh loudspeaker an announcement for a stretcher crew to head to the boiler room, boiler number 23,'' she said.
Ditty said that she and other passengers were asked to report to their muster stations, where they waited for about and hour an a half before being taken off the ship. Passengers were confined to an air conditioned terminal near the ship.
Rescue workers said they believe all the injured had been removed from the ship.
`` Pretty much everybody is accounted for,`` said Eugene Germanin Jr., spokesman for Miami-Dade Fire-Rescue.
''We believe that it's a possible steam leak from the boiler room that caused the explosions,'' said Anastasia Burnes, spokesowman for the U.S. Coast Guard. ``Right now everything is under control.''
In recent years, fire safety on the Norway, operated by Norweigian Cruise Lines has come come into question.
Two years ago, also on Memorial Day weekend, the luxury liners Caribbean cruises was canceled after the U.S. Coast Guard found a litany of safety violation onboard.
During an unannounced May 2001 inspection they discovered more than 100 fire safety violations, including poorly repaired leaks on the fire-sprinkler line.
Welders worked frantically to make repairs, the fixes took days to be completed. Passengers were given free drinks and left to choose between a refund and rescheduling.
HISTORY OF THE NORWAYJuly, 1956: French President Charles de Gaulle signs order to build SS France.
May, 1960: Madame Yvonne de Gaulle launches the SS France at Chantiers de l'Atlantique shipyard in St. Nazaire, France.
February, 1962: SS France makes maiden voyage, a rough crossing from Le Havre, France, to New York via Southampton.
October, 1974: Too expensive to operate, SS France is taken out of service and berthed in Le Havre.
1977: An Arab millionaire buys the France for $22 million, plans to make it an attraction off Daytona Beach. Plan never materializes, ship is placed back on the market.
August, 1979: NCL purchases SS France for scrap value of $18 million, sends it to Hapag-Lloyd Shipyard in Germany for a $120-million conversion.
May, 1980: SS Norway emerges from shipyard with work incomplete, makes maiden voyage without paying passengers from Oslo, Norway, to New York via Southampton.October, 1990: Two complete decks are added to Norway at German shipyard.
September, 2001: Norway embarks on 16-day farewell cruise from Miami across the Atlantic to Southampton, with stops at New York, Halifax, Grenock, Dun Laoghaire and Le Havre.
I'll just settle for the memories of my time on active duty in my beloved U.S. Navy.
My most earnest prayers today in memory of those great men and women who sacrificed their lives for our freedom. We all are truly blessed!
Since you've made that assessment, could you tell us what the cause is? At least vaguely?
Bingo! It's registered in the Bahamas.
http://www.cruise411.com/info_center/detailed_description.asp?Ship_ID=NCL_NO
From the story: ''We believe that it's a possible steam leak from the boiler room that caused the explosions,'' said Anastasia Burnes, spokesowman for the U.S. Coast Guard. ``Right now everything is under control.''
Pretty much?
Hmmm. Give or take how many?
As a matter-of-fact, my mission in life is to seek them (terrorist) out and destroy them. They are imbedded in our society and it's every true American's duty to expose them and caste them into oblivion.
So good hunting to all terrorists hunters. (And remember, there is no bag limit.)
LOL. My thought exactly.
But hey, at least this is REMOTELY possible.
My favorite was the theory that al Qaeda sleepers got hired onto the road crew for the band Great White so they could start a deadly night club fire.
That is absolutlely true, someone actually postulated this.
Remember the Maine! (Did we ever apologize to Spain for that?)
It's a boiler. Improperly maintained, they blow up.
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