Two American tourists died on Sunday morning during a fire on a cruise of the Amazon river outside Iquitos.
Larry and Christy Hammer died after a small fire broke out in the couple’s cabin on the Estrella Amazonica cruise ship as it toured the Amazon river en route to the Pacaya-Samiria National Reserve.
The boat’s crew found the 74- and 72-year-old unconscious in their cabin after the fire alarm sounded. Larry Hammer had died by the time the crew arrived. Christy Hammer died on the way to a hospital in Iquitos.
A police official told Buenos Dias Peru that they are investigating the cause of the fire, which they believe to be either a cigarette or a short circuit. The 139-foot boat operated by International Expeditions was carrying 80 passengers of various nationalities.
Note: a previous version of this article stated the boat was operated by a different Amazon tourism company.
Sources
Dos turistas de EE.UU. mueren en crucero en el Amazonas (El Comercio)
Turistas de EE UU fallecen tras incendio en crucero fluvial en Loreto (Andina)
La Estrella Amazonica (International Expeditions)
Turistas mueren tras incendio de embarcación en Loreto (Buenos Días Perú)
2 Americans die in burning cruise ship in Peruvian Amazon (Fox News)
