FEBRUARY 12, 2013 — The U.S. Coast Guard and the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the cause of the engine room fire that occurred onboard the cruise ship Carnival Triumph, Sunday.

The ship is currently under tow and is expected to arrive in Mobile, AL, Thursday evening.

Left: The tugs Resolve Pioneer and Dabhol tow and steer the 893-foot Carnival Triumph cruise ship Tuesday morning, Feb. 12, 2013, in the Gulf of Mexico (USCG Photograph)

Because the Carnival Triumph is a Bahamian flagged vessel, the Bahamas Maritime Authority is the primary investigative agency. In accordance with international guidelines, the U.S. will participate in this investigation as a Marine Safety Investigative State.

Coast Guard members from both the Investigations and Cruise Ship Centers of Expertise, along with a representative from the Coast Guard Marine Safety Center will lead the U.S. investigation joined by a team of five investigators from the NTSB Office of Marine Safety and the Office of Research and Engineering.

The purpose of the investigation is to identify causal and contributing factors that led to the incident. Additionally both the crew response and effectiveness of fire fighting systems will be evaluated to help prevent future incidents.

The U.S. team is expected to arrive in Mobile, Wednesday.

Results of the investigation will be released to the public once the investigation by the Bahamas Maritime Authority is complete.