The Transportation Safety Board of Canada is investigating after more than 200 people aboard the ferry MV Holiday Island had to abandon ship Friday morning due to an engine room fire.
Northumberland Ferries vice president Don Cormier said in a statement Saturday that the fire was not fully contained.
“The fire continued overnight and our crews continue to assess the situation,” he said. “The fire still continues to be confined mainly to the ship’s engine room and funnels. At this time, smoke could still be seen from the ship’s funnels and engine room vents.’
Members of the Canadian Coast Guard and a tugboat remain on standby to monitor the situation.
After Friday’s firefighting operations were ineffective, crews said they planned to tow the ship to the dock, where they hoped to fully contain the scene.
The ferry left the port in Caribou, NS at 10am bound for Wood Islands, PEI
The fire started shortly after 11 o’clock
“The alarms went off, and I’ve been on the ship a long time and I’ve never heard them before,” said passenger John Kenny.
“I thought it was a false alarm. They were quite noisy. They went on for several minutes before we heard an announcement that there was actually a fire on the ship.
The ferry had almost completed its journey across the Northumberland Strait when the trouble began.
“You go outside and you see fire overhead. You’re like, “Okay, is this for real? It happens?’ especially when they told us we had to wear a life jacket,” Chelsea Wilson said.
Kenny says crew members tried to calm the children on board.
“My son was with me, he’s eight, and he was quite scared because I don’t know what they were watching on TV, but it felt like the Titanic on a smaller level when it started happening,” he said.
According to Northumberland Ferries Limited, which operates the ferry, efforts on board to contain the fire were suspended due to an “out of caution” for the safety of the ship’s crew and firefighters due to its condition.
“Water to cool the border. It found its way into the hold, basically caused a little list on the ship, so those activities were stopped last night,” Cormier said in an interview with CTV News.
No injuries were reported.
The ferry operator says the vessel was deliberately grounded at the entrance to the Wood Islands harbor where life rafts were deployed.
Wilson says she had to hold on to her daughter “for dear life” as the two slid down the emergency exit.
“I asked if she could go on my lap and they said, ‘Yeah, sure.’ You had to have your legs open to slow down, and I was just petrified going down the slide the whole time,” she said.
#RCMPPEI assists with incident at sea near Wood Island Ferry Terminal. The terminal is currently closed. Members of the public are asked to avoid the area to allow first responders to do their job.
— RCMP PEI (@RCMPPEI) July 22, 2022
Six different fire departments, the Coast Guard and PEI RCMP, along with various emergency response teams attended the scene.
According to the Joint Rescue Coordination Center in Halifax, 182 passengers disembarked safely immediately, while 18 crew members and seven local firefighters remained on board.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also commented on the fire during his visit to PEI on Friday.
“I want to thank the first responders who responded extremely quickly and there were local fishermen involved in helping people. It was a really, really scary situation for everyone involved, so our thoughts are with them,” Trudeau said.
“We are working to provide them with the support they need,” he told reporters. “I have just spoken to Prime Minister King, who I have assured him will have full federal cooperation in whatever is needed.”
Today was a scary day for those passengers and staff on board mv Holiday Island, their families and their loved ones.
Full statement👇 pic.twitter.com/0mJeEtEIB8
— Dennis King (@dennyking) July 22, 2022
Prime Minister King said teams from the Canadian Red Cross and other emergency organizations are on the ground helping travelers with anything they may need, including accommodation, supplies and transportation.
“These crews will continue to support passengers and their families in the coming days,” King said in a news release Friday.
He added that Health PEI has prepared for the possibility that a large number of patients will require care, even though it is not necessary.
Northumberland Ferries said as of Saturday it was working to send passengers home without the belongings they were forced to leave on board on Friday.
“Not knowing the circumstances of the weather and not knowing the exact condition of the vehicles if and when they are restored, customers are best off going home.”
Officials add that they will work to return vehicles to passengers if and when they can be returned.
In a tweet, Northumberland Ferries said all Woods Islands-Caribou services this weekend have been cancelled. Schedule updates can be found online.
Update: Please note that Northumberland Ferries have canceled all crossings for Sunday 24 July 2022. We apologize for any inconvenience.
Please stay tuned or call our toll-free number at 1-800-565-0201 for the most up-to-date schedule information.
— Northumberland Ferries (@PEIFerries) July 23, 2022
The TSB said the information was being collected to be assessed during the investigation.
This is a developing story.
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