 |
| Aqua Amazon sank Saturday after an accident and explosion during its turnaround on the Amazon River. // Photo by Aqua Expeditions. |
Aqua Expeditions has released a new update on the accident and explosion that sank the Aqua Amazon on the Amazon River in Peru on Saturday.
While it was first thought that four crew were unaccounted for, that figure rose to five on Sunday night when another crew member could not be located, Aqua Expeditions said in an updated statement. Additionally, two external suppliers were also victims of the accident, bringing the total missing to seven.
As of 5:00 pm EST Monday, July 18, two of the victims have been identified and recovered, Aqua Expeditions said. Five more remain to be found and recovered.
An additional eight crew members are in recovery in the hospital following the explosion. Three are in intensive care and the remaining five are receiving the necessary medical attention.
“We have been in close contact with their families and have been keeping them fully informed of news of their loved ones during this difficult time,” Aqua Expeditions Founder and CEO Francesco Galli Zugaro said in a written release. “Many of the crew have been with me from 2007 when we started. I considered them dear friends, not just employees.”
A preliminary investigation is still underway into the source of the fire and explosion.