COUPLE KILLED ON AMAZON CRUISE Cabin fire under investigation

Posted on 04/15/2016 | About Peru

An American couple sailing on the Amazon River died Sunday on the way to a hospital after their cabin on a cruise ship caught fire. International Expeditions’ Estrella was docked as investigations into the cause of the fire continued.

Passengers Larry Morris Hammer, 74, and Cristy Jeins Hammer, 72, were taken to the hospital in Iquitos, capital of the Amazon region of Loreto in northeastern Peru. 

The fire reportedly began in the couple’s cabin and was detected by crew members when the alarm sounded at 2:00 am. The head of the Iquitos port authority, Oscar Garrido said the bodies of the US citizens were taken to the morgue in Iquitos and the National Police's Tourism Division informed the victims' family members so they could undertake repatriation procedures. 

The local media is speculating that the fire was the result of an electrical short circuit or a cigarette, but neither theory can be validated until the investigation by a prosecutor and a detective is completed. A spokesperson for International Expeditions, said that the fire was confined to one cabin and that all other passengers and crew were safe and uninjured. 

She confirmed that the Estrella’s systems passed inspection and the vessel was cleared for normal operation. 

The president of International Expeditions has flown to Peru to comfort passengers and to provide any required assistance to investigators.