Crane collapses onto cruise ship in the Bahamas
The crane reportedly fell on the Royal Caribbean's Oasis of the Seas while it was in dry dock near Freeport.
Eight people were injured Monday when a construction crane toppled onto a Royal Caribbean cruise ship docked in the Bahamas, company officials told The New York Post.
The $1.5 billion Oasis of the Seas was in dry-dock at the Great Bahamas Shipyard, near Freeport when the construction crane crashed into the ship’s side. Shipyard management later notified Royal Caribbean that eight people suffered non-life threatening injuries as a result of the incident, according to the company.
“We are aware of damage to the dock structure and to construction cranes,” Royal Caribbean Cruised said in a released statement, adding the company accounted for the whereabouts of all site personnel and worked with authorities to determine if anyone else was hurt. “We are assessing damage to the ship.”
The cause of the incident remains unknown, reported WSVN. A video posted to Bahamas Press' Twitter page shows the crane laying on the side of the Royal Caribbean ship.
The Oasis of the Seas, which is registered to the Bahamas and sails out of Port Canaveral, Florida, was not in service at the time of the crash. The ship’s itinerary revealed the ship was due to travel to Miami for Royal Caribbean’s fall and winter schedule, WKMG reported.
With a maximum capacity of 6,780 guests and 2,200 crew members, Oasis of the Seas is one of the largest cruise liners in the world. The 1,187-foot long ship made its maiden voyage in December 2009.
The Royal Caribbean liner sparked controversy in January when at least 167 passengers on a seven-night voyage fell ill with norovirus -- an infection that causes vomiting, diarrhea and dehydration in extreme cases, according to the U.S. Centers of Disease Control and Prevention.