Possible Boat Explosion Near Haulover Sandbar Injures 11 to 13
Charter vessel Nauti Nabors caught fire near Haulover Sandbar; cause under investigation and multiple agencies responded.
CBS News11 hospitalized in possible Miami boat explosion, officials say
USA TODAYCause of Miami boat explosion that injured 11 still under investigation
Boston GlobeAt least 13 injured in ‘possible boat explosion’ in Florida, officials say
Washington Examiner'Possible boat explosion' in Miami sends at least 11 to the hospital: Local officials
Overview
A suspected explosion aboard a charter boat near the Haulover Sandbar injured roughly 11 to 13 people, officials and hospital spokespeople said.
Emergency crews were dispatched around 12:45 to 12:50 p.m. on May 9 after reports of a blast that witnesses said quickly engulfed the 40-foot Press Cruiser 400 Express named Nauti Nabors in flames.
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Battalion Chief Juan Arias said the cause is under investigation, and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said investigators are probing the incident.
A witness, boat charter Patrick Lee, said he saw people ejected from the boat and alleged the operator started the engine without opening hatches or turning on blowers, possibly igniting gasoline fumes.
About 20 to more than 25 rescue units from multiple agencies responded, 11 people were transported to hospitals, and Jackson Memorial Hospital said it was treating 13 injured people, a spokesperson said.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources present this account neutrally: they rely on agency statements (Miami-Dade Fire Rescue, Florida Fish and Wildlife, U.S. Coast Guard), stick to verifiable facts (locations, number injured, response units), avoid loaded language or speculation, and note an investigation is underway, omitting conjecture about causes or victims' conditions.