Carnival Cruise ship catches fire, docked at Turks and Caicos Islands
Thick black smoke billows from the smokestack of Carnival Cruise ship.
The smokestack of a Carnival Cruise ship docked in the Turks & Caicos Islands caught fire on Thursday and officials allowed guests and crew members to go ashore as heavy smoke billowed into the air.
Carnival said in a statement that no one was injured during the incident in Grand Turk, although it was not immediately clear what caused the fire, which was filmed by passengers.
"All guests and crew are safe,” the company said.
The Carnival Freedom had departed Florida on Monday for a five-day cruise.
Photos shared on social media on Thursday show smoke and flames rising from the cruise ship docked in the Turks and Caicos Islands.
Passengers told media that Carnival Freedom left Port Canaveral, Florida, on Monday and was docked in Grand Turk when the fire broke out inside the ship's funnel on Thursday.
“The Carnival Freedom’s funnel/exhaust system is currently on fire in Grand Turk’s port,” said a passenger on Carnival Mardis Gras, which was moored alongside the Freedom when the fire broke out.
