Blaze forces families to abandon Turkish tour boat

Istanbul – More than 100 people had to abandon ship after a fire engulfed a children’s entertainment tour boat off south-western Turkey on Aug 13, officials said.Families were on board for the outing near the coastal resort of Fethiye, which is particularly popular with British tourists.Officials said all 115 passengers and crew were “evacuated to shore” from the “Toys Boat” – which says it offers children an “unforgettable adventure” – mainly by coastguards.Eleven people were taken to hospital suffering from smoke inhalation but none of them were said to be “in (a) serious condition”, the Turkish maritime affairs directorate said on X, without saying whether any were children.The coastguard told AFP they had evacuated 107 people but also did not say how many were children.The boat offers meals and children’s games and entertainment.Images released by the Turkish media showed the boat was completely gutted by the fire.“We would like to inform the public that our customers and staff are safe,” the boat’s operator said in a statement on Facebook. AFP