An American woman was killed and nine people injured early Saturday when a tour boat in the Bahamas exploded, officials said according to NBC News.
Shanta Knowles, superintendent of police for the Royal Bahamas Police Force, told NBC investigators were still “trying to determine what went wrong.”
The U.S. Coast Guard in a tweet said four Americans were airlifted to a hospital in Florida and Knowles said the other five were taken to a hospital on New Providence Island, Bahamas.
".@USCG Air Station Clearwater HC-130 crew medevacs 4 Americans to Florida after explosion on boat in Exuma, Bahamas. More >> https://goo.gl/92WgCk," USCG Southeast tweeted.
“An HC-130 Hercules airplane crew with two medical personnel from Air Station Clearwater was launched, landed in Exuma, and transported the boaters to the air station where emergency medical services awaited,” the U.S. Coast Guard said.
The explosion happened off the exclusive island of Exuma at around 9 a.m. Saturday morning. The boat was carrying 12 people, including 10 Americans and two Bahamians. At least three people on board a neighboring boat jumped into the waters to help pull one person to safety.
“This is a sad day for Exuma and a sad day for our American friends,” said Chester Cooper, Exumas and Ragged Island MP, in a statement posted to Facebook. “We are saddened and our hearts are hurting, but we will get through this together.”
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