On the morning of December 27, the 30 meter long (approx length) passenger ship Atlantic Cruise caught fire in the Bay of Bengal at Nuniachhara, Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh. The fire started in the  engine room as the Atlantic Cruise was attempting to dock at the jetty to take on passengers for a voyage to Saint Martin.  The fire quickly spread though the vessel with parts of the superstructure gutted. The local fire brigade assisted by the Bangladesh Navy attempted to extinguish the blaze. Reports stated even after several hours, the fire had not been contained.

There were no tourists on board during the incident. Approximately 200 tourists were waiting to board the vessel before the fire started.  Unfortunately, a crew member was found dead.  Reports state the crew member had been asleep in a cabin when the fire broke out and was unable to escape the flames.