At least 15 people were injured after a suspected boat explosion near a popular sandbar off the coast of Miami Beach on Saturday, emergency officials said.Miami-Dade Fire Rescuesaid more than 25 rescue units responded to reports of a possible vessel explosion near Haulover Sandbar at about 12:45 local time. The United States Coast Guard and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission also assisted in the response.
Emergency crews arriving at the scene found multiple people suffering from injuries, including burns and trauma wounds, according to Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Battalion Chief Juan Arias. Authorities said the number of casualties prompted officials to upgrade the incident to a Level 2 Mass Casualty Incident in order to request additional resources.
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue initially said 15 people had been transported to hospital, though later updates indicated that 11 patients were taken for further treatment. Officials did not immediately release details about the severity of the injuries.
The cause of the explosion has not been confirmed and remains under investigation.
A witness, local boat charter operator Robert Lee, said he saw the blast and believed it was caused by fuel ignition.
“We saw three people fly out of the boat,” Lee said. “So this guy got in a hurry, and his people got on board, and he turned the key, and didn't open the hatches. Didn't turn on the blowers and he blew people out the boat.”
Lee said the vessel became engulfed in flames within minutes. “I just saw a lot of them with burns all over them,” he said. “It is quick, but it's high octane gasoline, and so a lot of them got burnt and it was an explosion.”
Fire officials urged boaters to take safety precautions, particularly during the busy summer season. “This time of year, we have a lot of boats on the water, so it's always good to make sure you have a radio with you, life vests, fire extinguishers in case of fighting any fires or explosions like we had today,” Arias said. “And also have an experienced boater with you on the boat, a captain or whatnot.”
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