Alabama: Eight dead after fire engulfs 35 boats docked in Jackson County Park

At least eight people were reportedly killed while several went missing after a massive fire engulfed as many as 35 boats docked in Jackson County Park in Alabama on Monday morning.

Seven people were rescued from the water and rushed to the hospital for burns and potential hypothermia, Scottsboro Fire Chief Gene Necklaus said, as reported by CNN. All seven had jumped off the boat into the water when the incident took place, and are currently in stable condition, Necklaus added.

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Dock caught fire after midnight

The fire erupted after midnight and quickly spread over the dock while people who were on board were asleep. Nearly 35 vessels along with the wooden dock went up in flames. The aluminium roof which covered many of the boats also melted and collapsed, making it difficult for the people present at that time to escape into the river.

Tommy Jones, a Jackson County Park Marina resident told the media that he, along with other men cut some boats free, allowing it to drift into the water. Later, they dived into the water and swam towards the shore which was 200 yards away. His brother who swam in a different direction during the fire had drowned, officials said.

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Hours after sunrise, smoke kept rising from the remains of a wooden dock, and pieces of metal of the roof had partially submerged. Police and fireboats were positioned near the charred remains with flashing lights and a yellow floating boom deployed around the marina to contain spilt fuel.

Most of the boats that got destroyed had people living on them while some mainly spent weekends on them, another resident added. The park includes a boat ramp, a dock and a restaurant, and offers boat rentals. 

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Houseboat caught fire in Kerala

In another similar incident which took place in Kerala, thirteen tourists, including three children, had a miraculous escape when their houseboat caught fire near Pathiramanal Isle in Vembanad Lake.

As the boat was near the sand bars, the tourists and the staff jumped into the shallow waters and were rescued. Two toddlers were among the passengers. The double-decker houseboat "Oceana" had embarked on the journey from the scenic Kumarakom around noon on Thursday, January 24, when the fire broke out.

The police said experts were examining what could have triggered the blaze which could be a short circuit or a spark from the kitchen. Fire extinguisher was used by the three staff onboard the boat. But they could not stop the blaze from spreading and eventually gutting the boat, police said on the following day.

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(With inputs from AP)

(Image credits: AP)