Passengers flee cruise ship inferno in Ha Long Bay

The boat, registered as QN 6299, was carrying over 40 passengers and had just arrived back at the port when the fire broke out.

QN 6299. Photo on Facebook.

Two builders working nearby heard the noise and grabbed a ladder to help the passengers down. “Some of them stayed to take photos, but the fire became too strong and they couldn’t make it to the ladder and were forced to jump into the water. In the chaos, some were injured.”

Passengers in life vests jump into the water. Photo on Facebook.

“The fire started in the kitchen then quickly spread to other parts of the boat. Fortunately, everybody managed to escape,” said a passenger still panicked by the fire.

The three-storey cruise ship eventually sank after an hour and a half despite firefighters efforts to extinguish the flames. No fatalities were reported.

The bow of the sinking ship. Photo by Minh Cuong

QN 6299 was a luxury cruise with a four-five star rating.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.