Thirty Flemings narrowly escaped a fire on their cruise ship, passenger David Van Dam told VRT NEWS. The Flemings were on a 12-day cruise on the River Nile in Egypt, when the ship caught fire between the cities of Luxor and Edfu. It is not yet clear whether there were any casualties. “The fire probably started in the kitchen,” David says.
A group of 30 Flemings left Luxor on Monday on a 12-day cruise on the Nile aboard the ‘Iberotel Crown Empress’. But on the first day of their holiday, disaster struck.
“At 6:30 p.m., other boats shone flashlights toward our cabins. When we opened the window, we saw a huge plume of smoke on deck,” David says.
The captain immediately sailed his ship to the quay to evacuate the passengers. However, the evacuation was difficult. “The gangway to go ashore was too small. And the fire had also broken out on the ground floor, where the gangway is located. So, it was very difficult to evacuate via that route.”
David had to move to the upper deck with a large number of passengers. “It was pure chaos. People didn't know what to do.” Some passengers were able to reach safety via the gangway. “Others couldn't even leave their cabins and were eventually rescued by two small boats.”
Ship completely gutted
“I suspect the ship has been completely gutted. We had to leave our luggage behind, so we are left with nothing.” Fortunately, David and the other Flemish passengers were able to get to safety. “I don't know if there are any casualties. The fire broke out in the kitchen. At that moment, the crew were having dinner.”
Eventually, Flemish passengers received the news that they would be taken to Edfu, where they could sleep on another boat.