Jose Jesus Gonzales-Alvara and Daniel Santacruz, two Texas crewmen working on a cargo vessel at Texas Barge & Boat, Inc. in Freeport, Texas were killed when the ship caught fire Saturday. The vessel was situated atop a dry-docked barge. One man was working inside the ship when the fire began, and the other man went in to get him.
Gonzales-Alvara was 31 years old and Santacruz 41. It is unclear at the time which of the two went inside the vessel to save the other during the fire, but tragically both were killed.
State officials are investigating the cause of the incident as an industrial accident, according to media reports, but as of now no cause is know.
The causes of vessel fires are varied, and without more information, it is difficult for Texas Maritime Lawyers to know what happened in this case. However, the more common causes would be electrical issues, overheating machinery such as combustion systems, collisions with other vessels, cooking issues in the galley, welding repairs on board a vessel, and more.
For more information on what your rights may be after a maritime vessel fire, please contact our firm Schechter, Shaffer & Harris, L.L.P., Accident & Injury Lawyers today.
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