Crew member dead after fire breaks out aboard World Legacy off Singapore

   February 20, 2026 ,   Accidents

A fire broke out in the early hours of Friday, February 20th, aboard the Liberia-flagged vessel World Legacy (fka Moby Zaza ferry) as she was making way to Singapore, marking a serious incident for the newly launched service of Singapore-based World Cruises.

The blaze, preliminarily located in a lounge area on Deck 9, was brought under control by the crew before Singapore Civil Defence Force marine firefighting teams fully extinguished it.

Singapore's Maritime and Port Authority reported that at the time of the incident, there were 271 passengers and 388 crew aboard, and that one crew member, an Indonesian national, later succumbed to the effects of the fire and was transferred ashore. Four passengers were ambulanced to a hospital for assessment, but no other serious injuries among crew or passengers were reported.

Following the fire's extinguishment, all passengers were evacuated to the HarbourFront Ferry Terminal. A core team remained aboard the ship at anchor in Raffles Reserved Anchorage to maintain essential operations, support ongoing investigations and oversee safety checks, while the remainder of the crew was to be disembarked in stages.

Authorities established a safety zone around the vessel and issued navigational warnings to passing traffic. Classification society surveyors engaged by the ship’s owners were expected to board to evaluate the damage and inform subsequent repair plans prior to any return to service. The cause of the fire remained under investigation, with relevant diplomatic and maritime authorities notified.

For more World Legacy incidents and accidents, see the ship's CruiseMinus page.