French maritime news site, Mer et Marine, is reporting that on June 6th there was a small fire onboard. Families of the workers at STX France were allowed to tour the vessel and see what their relatives had been working on for the past 3 years. This common as a way for the shipyard to show how important they are to the community. The crew were notified of another small fire onboard and decided, as a precaution to evacuate all passengers.
This shipyard has not had much luck during these events. On November 15, 2003 the gangway leading to the Queen Mary 2 collapsed killing 16 and injuring 32 during the family day at the yard.
This is the third fire on the ship so far.
These fires are all a result of arson. From a “translation” from Mer et Marine: “ The criminal origin of fire starts is no longer in doubt.”
The ship is still scheduled for her sea trials and delivery on the 15th.