Two crew members aboard the Holland America Line cruise ship have died, as a result of an accident in one of the ship’s engineering rooms. The accident occurred at the Nieuw Amsterdam cruise ship, when the ship was still docked at the Half Moon Cay in the Bahamas.
The cruise was set to voyage from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., in a journey that would have lasted seven nights, starting on March 16. The deaths of the two crew members suddenly arose on the final day.
Holland America has explained that the deaths of the two employees happened from an “accidental steam release”. The two crew members who have passed away have been identified as third engineer Joseph Terrado from the Philippines, and wiper Wawan Gusnawan from Indonesia.
“All of us at Holland America Line are deeply saddened by this event,” said Holland America, in a released statement on the situation. “We’ve been in contact with the families of both team members and are offering our support to them and to all of our crew at this difficult time. The safety, security and welfare of all guests and crew are the company’s absolute priority.”
The cause of the release of steam which is being investigated by the Bahamas Maritime Authority and the Dutch Safety Board, Holland America explained.
“Safety is always our top priority, and we are working to understand what, if anything, can be learned from this tragic accident,” said Holland America, promising to take action on whatever the cause of the steam release is.
Passenger of the cruise Laine Doss stated that she was present at the board of when the captain’s voice broke in announcing on the ship’s P.A. system the death of the two crew members.
“He broke down crying,” Doss explained. “There was a moment of silence that the captain requested. And that entire scenario did affect the entire cruise. Things were canceled, joyous events were canceled, and we really just thought about mortality — the people who perished on the ship.”
Written by Kevin Han
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