LOS ANGELES, Sept. 4 (Xinhua) -- U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said on Wednesday that it will release a preliminary report in 10 days about the cause of the dive boat fire off the Southern California coast.
A final report about the early Monday accident resulting in an estimated 34 deaths could take two years to release, said NTSB member Jennifer Homendy on a press conference held in Santa Barbara.
It will be a "very lengthy, detailed, comprehensive investigation," she noted.
The boat was on a three-day diving trip when it caught fire near the Santa Cruz Island. Of the 39 people on board, five were rescued. And 33 bodies have been recovered by Wednesday.
One passenger, who is believed to have perished in the disaster, remains missing, according to the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Department.
Four of the five survivors underwent alcohol testing, with one not tested because he was being transferred, and all five had drug testing, said Homendy, noting that the alcohol tests were all negative, and they were awaiting the drug results.
The NTSB started its investigation on Tuesday morning. A team of 16 investigators specializing in engineering, operations, survival factors and fire prevention was dispatched to the scene.
