As many as 25 people were injured, but no fatalities were reported, after an explosion ripped through a ferry as passengers disembarked Playa del Carmen on Wednesday.
Confusion exists about the number of injured passengers. The port authority reported 15 Mexicans, three Canadians and two Americans among the injured. Local Civil Defense director Juan Medina Sosa said there were 25 injured, including three Canadians and two Americans, and all were in good condition.
The U.S. Embassy in Mexico said later that it was aware of seven Americans hurt, while Canada’s diplomatic mission said it had no knowledge of any of its citizens being harmed.
The municipal government said that the victims sustained minor cuts and were treated at a local hospital.
Videos posted online by the newspaper Quintana Roo Hoy showed the blast sending a fireball and debris flying sideways from the ferry as it was moored to the dock with people nearby.
🚔🚨#AlertaSolidaridad🚔🚨#EsTendencia⚡Así fue el momento exacto de la explosión de un barco en Playa del Carmen. Lee todos los detalles👉https://t.co/SCGhNz91BY pic.twitter.com/MhpBCbkLne
— Quintana Roo Hoy (@QuintanaRoo_hoy) February 21, 2018
The Barcos Caribe vessel was left with a gaping hole in its starboard side next to a passenger seating area.
The cause was not yet known, according to municipal officials, but the Port Administration of Quintana Roo said in a statement that preliminary indications suggest a mechanical failure.
The ferry connects the port city Playa del Carmen with the resort island Cozumel. Service to Cozumel will continue with other ferry companies that operate from the municipal dock.
Source: Associated Press
