One killed in fire on St. Martin passenger ship in Cox’s Bazar

A fire broke out on a vessel bound for St Martin in the Bangkhali River near Cox’s Bazar, resulting in the death of one crew member. The vessel, named MV Atlantic Cruise, was preparing to transport tourists when the incident occurred, causing widespread alarm among passengers waiting at the jetty. Fortunately, 194 tourists waiting to board were unharmed.

The incident took place on Saturday morning around 6:45 am at the BWTA jetty in Nuniatara, Cox’s Bazar Sadar. By the time of reporting, firefighters had managed to partially control the blaze, with full containment ongoing through the coordinated efforts of two fire service units, the Coast Guard, and volunteer teams organised by the local administration.

Hossain Islam Bahadur, General Secretary of the Sea Cruise Operators & Owners Association of Bangladesh, confirmed the incident to media outlets, noting that the MV Atlantic Cruise regularly ferries around 200 tourists daily. “This morning, the vessel was attempting to dock at the jetty for its routine St Martin trip when the fire broke out. Within minutes, the flames engulfed the entire ship,” he said.

Sub-Assistant Director of Cox’s Bazar Fire Service and Civil Defence, Syed Muhammad Morshed Hossain, confirmed that the charred body of crew member Nur Kamal, aged 35, was recovered. He had been sleeping in a cabin when the fire erupted. Investigations are ongoing to determine if any other crew members were present at the time and the precise cause of the blaze remains unknown.

Khondokar Mahmud Pasha, Deputy Director of the Department of Environment’s Cox’s Bazar office, stated that the fire began only 15 minutes before the vessel was scheduled to depart, preventing a potentially catastrophic situation. District Commissioner Md. Abdul Mannan and senior police officials rushed to the scene after the fire was reported, assuring that tourists were safe and that the cause of the fire was under investigation.

Tanzila Tasnim, Convener of the vessel management committee and Executive Officer of Cox’s Bazar Sadar, confirmed that the vessel was completely damaged but no tourists were aboard. Passengers scheduled to travel on the Atlantic Cruise were safely transferred to other vessels.

Eyewitnesses at the jetty described panic among waiting passengers. Mir Aslam, a businessman from Dhaka, recounted: “I had booked tickets four days ago for my wife and daughter. Seeing the vessel on fire was terrifying, but thankfully we were spared from danger.”

Cox’s Bazar’s St Martin ferry services operate multiple vessels daily, with six ships—including MV Atlantic Cruise—carrying nearly 2,000 passengers each morning on a 120-kilometre route, returning by afternoon. Nighttime stays on the island have been permitted for December and January, allowing continuous tourist services until 31 January.

Summary of the Incident:

Authorities have urged all tourists to book ferry tickets online through the Bangladesh Tourism Board portal, ensuring travel passes and QR codes are issued, which will be verified before boarding. Unauthorized vessels are prohibited from operating without government approval.