A FUEL leak or the gathering of explosive gases in the fuel tank, or a combination of both, could have caused Friday afternoon’s horrific yacht blaze in Sitra which claimed the life of an elderly Argentinian woman.
The Public Prosecution began an investigation immediately after receiving a report on Friday afternoon from the Coastguard that a fire had occurred onboard the vessel, the head of the Muharraq Governorate Prosecution announced last night.
He added that the deceased victim’s body had been examined, the damage to the recreational craft studied and officers had listened to the testimony of the ship’s captain and owner, who believed the cause of the explosion was a leak, or a gathering of gases in the tank, which led to the fuel igniting.
Police and crime scene experts, alongside technicians and forensic medical specialists, were also preparing formal technical reports to identify the exact cause of the incident and the pensioner’s death.
The Coastguard revealed that seven other people were injured. One suffered serious burns in an unsuccessful attempt to rescue Norma Haydee Femia, 79, an expatriate staying in the kingdom on a dependent visa under an online food delivery platform, who was believed to have been trapped in a cabin.
The blaze was tackled and extinguished by Civil Defence firemen who rushed to the scene. It is understood the owner of the yacht, who was travelling from the Amwaj Islands, had stopped at Sitra Yacht Club premises to refuel on his way to Durrat Al Bahrain.
An eye-witness said the private yacht caught fire just three metres off the club’s premises and within seconds the tranquil seaside setting erupted into sounds of explosions and screams of terror.
“I was cleaning my boat when I heard a loud blast, like a bomb, and I turned to see flames rising up,” the Bahraini told the GDN.
“Within seconds, the entire area, barely two to three metres off Sitra Yacht Club, was covered in black fumes while the flames spread all around the yacht.
“It took me a while to realise it was a yacht because at first it was completely engulfed in thick, black smoke.”
View this post on Instagram
The 42-year-old, who asked to remain anonymous, added that he spotted three injured people – an elderly man and two children – who were taken away in an ambulance.
“There was an old man with injuries on his face, mostly burns, and two children, a girl and a boy, probably around three and seven years old, who were also injured on their feet and other parts of their bodies,” he said.
“The Civil Defence and Coastguard arrived quickly, and by the time the injured were brought ashore, the ambulance had also arrived, which after offering treatment at the scene, took them to hospital.
“A man in his late 40s, who had no obvious injuries, was also seen walking and explaining what had happened to officials.”
The witness said he later learned that the man was the owner of the vessel and that the deceased was his mother, who had got stranded inside.
“From what I’ve heard, the family was on their way to their home in Durrat Al Bahrain – they were coming from Amwaj,” said a boat owner from Ma’ameer.
“According to what he reported, his yacht had a full tank of fuel when he left Amwaj but he had to stop to refuel at Sitra because the tank was empty.
“It appears there was a leak – he refilled the tank and started the generator two to three metres into the water, at which point the blast occurred.
“Passengers were thrown into the water as a result of the impact and a man attempted to rescue the woman but couldn’t reach her because of the narrow door. It’s a terrible tragedy and our thoughts are with her family.”
raji@gdn.com.bh
&uuid=(email))