On a crispy sunny Sunday (11 September), The Tagoreans, one of the UK's oldest cultural organisations established in London since 1965, was celebrating its golden jubilee on River Thames. Promoted as a trip on the 'Sonar Tori' (the golden boat), an entertaining, relaxed and fun filled lunch cruise on the Thames - a great day out for the family, was spoiled as it caught fire in the engine room and crashed into the Canary Wharf pier.
More than 150 people, mostly Indian-origin Bengalis, including young children and disabled members had a lucky escape. Locals living by the river witnessed police boats rushing to the accident spot, soon after the boat crashed by the pier. Passersby cycling and walking near Westferry circus and Thames Path, were also seen recording the incident on cameras, while passengers on board looked visibly shocked by the crash and fire, and children were heard crying.
A spokesperson for the Tagoreans said, "It was quite a shock as towards the end of the three-hour cruise two of the engines caught fire. We could see smoke billowing at the back of the boat, which was coming inside. There was a bit of panic but all the passengers remained surprisingly calm.
"The emergency services were at scene promptly, including a police helicopter and paramedics. Thankfully, there were only some minor injuries."
The company which owns the boat has since apologised to the group and said a "full investigation" is underway. The spokesperson added, "We wait to hear back from them. It is a relief as things could have been much worse. We had an enjoyable afternoon of Rabindra Sangeet and fun and games until then.”
No serious injuries were reported among the 142 passengers and nine crew members on board and the pier was closed briefly before being reopened. The fire was put out before firefighters arrived at the scene and passengers and crew were taken off the ship and into two other boats on the river.
In a statement London Fire Brigade told the PTI, "Firefighters and officers were called to a small engine fire on a tour boat in the Thames... The fire was extinguished before the Brigade arrived.
“Crews checked the boat for safety and ensured that the fire was out. Eight fire engines and the fireboat attended the incident from stations including New Cross, Greenwich, Millwall and Shadwell."
The Port of London Authority said the boat is currently "safe and secure" by the river bank with its anchor dropped and will be towed away in due course. Transport for London's river services from Canary Wharf were suspended on Sunday as a result of the incident.
