What? Another Liveaboard Fire?

The 180-foot-long steel-hulled MY. Yasawa Princess caught fire on Christmas Eve near Vaavu Atoll in the Maldives. Seventeen passengers and eight crew members aboard were safely evacuated. The vessel was heavily damaged, and the cause of the fire, has yet to be determined. It continued burning on Christmas Day despite efforts of the Maldives National Defense Force to extinguish the flames. The vessel, with a capacity of 56 passengers in 28 cabins, is no longer operational.

We at Undercurrent seem to be reporting liveaboard disasters monthly. It's no surprise that the majority are operating in Egypt, the Maldives or Indonesia, because these countries have vastly greater numbers of liveaboards than anywhere else and lower safety standards than many nations. Accidents in the Red Sea have been especially prevalent, where 16 incidents occurred in five years (2020-2025), with three boats lost and multiple deaths. Causes include fire, capsizing, and poor safety standards.

But locally operated vessels are subject only to local regulations, whereas those that are licensed to travel internationally must conform to SOLAS rules regarding safety requirements. Find out which before you book.