An explosion and fire on a small tour boat in the Bahamas has killed one person and injured nine others.
People on a nearby boat watched in shock Saturday as flames and black smoke poured into the sky.
Police have not yet identified the person who was killed.
Investigators are looking for the cause.
The Royal Bahamas police force said, the tour boat carrying 12 people, including 10 Americans and two Bahamians, burst into flames off the island of Exuma, about 130 miles south of Nassau, shortly after 9am on Saturday.
Four of the injured Americans were airlifted to a hospital in St Petersburg, Florida with the help of the US Coastguard.
A photograph taken by Instagram user Chris Topperwien showed the boat covered in smoke and flames.
It is not clear if the American woman was killed in the blast or if she died later from her injuries.
The explosion sent flames and plumes of black smoke soaring into the air.
Several people on a nearby boat jumped into the water to help and dragged at least one person to safety.
Exumas and Ragged Island MP Chester Cooper confirmed that the woman had died and that two people, both Americans, were in an ‘extremely critical condition’ in the Nassau hospital.
‘This is a sad day for Exuma and a sad day for our American friends,’ Cooper said. ‘We are saddened and our hearts our hurting, but we will get through this together. Your prayers, as always, are needed and appreciated,’ he said in a statement.
The names and conditions of the victims have not been released.
The cause of the explosion is under investigation by the Exuma branch of the Royal Bahamas Police Force.
Aric Chen
Editor