26 passengers suffered minor injuries from an explosion onboard a Barcos Caribe ferry in Playa del Carmen, Mexico. The incident took place at approximately 1:15 p.m. local time on February 21.
The Governor of Quintana Roo, Carlos Joaquín González, told the Riviera Maya News that the explosion was likely a result of a technical failure, although the investigation is still ongoing. The explosion occurred just after the boat had landed, but after all the passengers had debarked. All of those injured have since been discharged, except for one, an employee of the ferry company who remains under medical observation. Four of the injured passengers were Americans, while the rest were from Mexico.
On its official Facebook page Barcos Caribe reports that it is continuing to maintain service, with a slightly modified schedule. Ferry service will run between Cozumel and Playa del Carmen with the first Cozumel departure at 5:45 a.m., and the last Playa del Carmen departure at 9:00 p.m.
“Fortunately, there were no deaths in the explosion that occurred on one of the Barcos Caribe boats that covers the federal route of Playa del Carmen a-Cozumel,” Alicia Ricalde Magaña, General Director of the Integral Administration of Quintana Roo, told Riviera Maya News.
Barcos Caribe is a Cozumel-based ferry company, offering service between Cozumel and Playa del Carmen.
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