MOBILE, Ala. (WPMI) A Coast Guard official says the cause of the engine-room fire on the Carnival cruise ship Triumph was a leak in a fuel engine return line.
In a teleconference Monday, Cmdr. Theresa Hatfield estimated that the investigation of the disabled ship would take six months.
She said the Bahamas is leading the investigation, with the Coast Guard and National Transportation Safety Board leading U.S. interests in the probe.
She said investigators have been with the ship since it arrived Thursday in Mobile, and interviews have been conducted with passengers and crew.
"Anytime you have a fire you're going to have damage. They were able to contain the fire to a fairly small area of the vessel and they did a very good job with the fire containment," said Cmdr. Hatfield.
Coast Guard officials say the on site part of the investigation could wrap by the end of the week.