SANDAKAN: A number of experts, including over a dozen engineers, will analyse the condition of the Azamara Quest cruise ship now docked at the Karamunting port here after a fire broke out in its engine room last Friday.
Azamara Club Cruises President and Chief Executive Officer Larry Pimentel said yesterday that it would take between 24 to 48 hours to find out if the ship can be repaired here, or if it would need to move to another facility.
“When you have fire in the engine room, sometimes cables are affected, and these carry power. The captain and crew did manage to get the ship operating and they came in the day before Monday successfully.
“It is possible that the ship may have to go to a location, and one of the largest in this part of the world is Singapore,” Pimentel said when met at the Sandakan Airport yesterday after sending off the second batch of passengers to Singapore on chartered flights.
On the cause of the fire, Pimentel said it was still under investigation.
“It’s difficult to know because when you have a fire in an engine room, sometimes cables are affected, and cables carry power.
“The captain and the crews did get the ship to operate successfully the day before yesterday,” said Pimentel, adding the results would only be made available to him today.
Considering the ship’s position on the high seas then, based on the coordinates and its ability to move a mere six and a half knots per hour, he said Sandakan was the most expedient and most viable location for docking purposes.
“Safety of the guests on any passenger ship is paramount. Getting to a safe location as quickly as possible is the proper thing to do,” said Pimentel.
As for the ship’s crews however, a lot would depend on the the ship’s condition.
“If the ship is able to sail, then the crew will stay on board. The situation for the moment tends to be dynamic, meaning that we have to have a lot of experts doing this and that until they get the ship to being fully restored and functioning. For the moment the crews stay with the vessel,” Pimentel said.
Meanwhile, a crew member of the Azamara Quest who was injured by the fire on board the ship, will be airlifted by an air ambulance sometime soon to obtain extensive pulmonary care for the lungs.
Guatemalan Juan Carlos Escobar was admitted to the Duchess of Kent Hospital here last Sunday due to respiratory problem suffered from smoke inhalation and heat.
The Azamara Quest has over 400 crew members representing 50 different nationalities.
“We’re like a family and to see someone doing his job and facing harm is very difficult to be dealt with. Our first action upon landing here yesterday was to talk to all the crew members who were injured in the incident, but this particular crew member has been admitted into the intensive care unit and being attended to.” he said.
Pimentel expressed hope for Escobar to stabilise soon to enable him to be moved to a bigger facility elsewhere.
“Normally (when) you’re creating a hospitality product like a holiday, it’s a happy time. But clearly this incident is clearly difficult for us and the most difficult part is that faced by our crew member.
“The good news is the guests are safe and the one crew member who has an issue is being taken care by a lot of medical professionals. I’m pretty positive,” said Pimentel.