Istanbul, Aug 13. (dpa/GNA) – A tourist boat caught fire off the south-western Turkish resort town of Fethiye on Thursday, forcing 115 people, including children and crew members, to jump into the sea wearing life jackets, local media reported.
The nationalities of those on board were not immediately clear. Daily or longer-term boat tours along Turkey’s pristine Aegean and Mediterranean coastline is popular with tourists, local and foreign alike.
Emergency crews extinguished the fire and all 115 people were evacuated, state news agency Anadolu reported. No casualties were immediately reported, while two people affected by smoke were taken to hospital and several children went through medical checks as a precaution, according to Anadolu.
The boat was rendered unusable and work started to bring it ashore, Anadolu said. Authorities launched an investigation into the cause of the fire, the report added. While the exact cause was immediately unclear, the fire broke out in the boat’s kitchen at around 11 am (0800 GMT) in Katrancı Bay, according to private news agency Demirören.
Flames quickly spread through the vessel, prompting those on board to evacuate into the water. Coastguard and marine police teams were dispatched to the scene, while other boats in the area joined the rescue operation, Demirören reported.
GNA