Fire 'scared' some on board Triumph

MOBILE, Ala. (WALA) - Passengers walked off the Carnival Triumph uncomfortable, hungry and in need of rest. But before that, many said there was fear.

Two days of smooth sailing took a turn early Sunday morning.

"We were scared. When the alarm came on at 5:30 in the morning, people grabbed their life jackets and ran to the muster station,” said one passenger.

Vivian Henderson describes mass confusion.

"Why are they asking us to do a fire drill at 5:30?," said Henderson.

It wasn't a drill. The main engine on the massive ship was on fire.

"I smelled something like burnt rubber; and after that, we lost power,” said Henderson.

The news of the fire quickly hit the media. Mary Poret watched closely. Her daughter and husband were on board.

"We had no communication. That’s what made it so bad,” said Poret.

Rebekah Poret, 12, said communication on the ship was scarce.

"They didn’t tell us any of the damage, so we knew it was pretty bad," said Poret.

Passengers said several floors were evacuated.

"The smoke was really, really bad. You couldn’t see down the hall in some areas," said Henderson.

Hours later, passengers realized this was just the beginning.  The ship was dead in the water, with no running water or electricity.

"We lived it all. We lived it," said Poret.

The cause of the fire and response is now under investigation by the Coast Guard and the NTSB but ultimately the Bahamian authorities will take the lead.