Carnival Cruise ship catches on fire near Bahamas

ELEUTHERA ISLAND, Baha. (NBC, KYMA/KECY) - An exhaust funnel on a Carnival Cruise ship caught on fire during a voyage near the Bahamas on Saturday.

The cruise line said the Carnival Freedom reported a fire on the port side from the ship's exhaust funnel around 3:15pm. The ship was about 20 miles from Eleuthera Island heading to Freeport.

According to a statement from Carnival, the ship's fire response team was activated, and the ship's captain turned the vessel towards heavy rain in the area to maximize efforts to extinguish the flames.

Crews were able to extinguish the fire at 5:20pm. People were asked to stay away from balconies and open decks for their safety.

Carnival said two crew members were treated for minor smoke inhalation. However, there have been no reports of injuries to guests at this time.

The cruise does not expect the fire to impact Monday's upcoming voyage.