Tourist boat catches fire off Türkiye’s Fethiye with 115 people on board VIDEO / PHOTO

A tourist boat carrying 115 passengers caught fire off Fethiye in Türkiye’s Muğla province, triggering a rescue operation by the Coast Guard and medical services.

The fire spread rapidly, prompting everyone on board, including children, to put on life jackets and jump into the water, Caliber.Az reports per Turkish media.

Coast Guard crews and medical teams were dispatched after receiving a distress call. The vessel suffered extensive damage and later began to sink.

Rescuers have so far evacuated 107 people and taken them to safety, while efforts to reach the remaining passengers are continuing. Those brought ashore are undergoing medical examinations.

Fethiye district governor Fatih Akkaya said there were no fatalities. He said passengers were rescued by Coast Guard vessels as well as private boats that were in the vicinity.

The cause of the fire remains unknown, and an investigation has been launched.

By Aghakazim Guliyev