PORT RICHEY, Fla. -- A female passenger on a casino shuttle boat that was consumed by a huge fire off Florida’s Gulf Coast has died and 14 others are injured.

Regional Medical Center Bayonet Point spokesman Kurt Conover said Monday that the woman died late Sunday, hours after the fire. He said she had arrived less than an hour earlier after becoming ill.

Her name has not been released and a cause of death has not been determined.

  • About 50 people were on board at the time
  • Cause of the fire remains unclear

The fire broke out at about 4:17 p.m. on the SunCruz Port Richey Casino shuttle. About 50 passengers were on the shuttle at the time of the fire, deputies said, and all of them have been accounted for. The captain reported engine trouble and decided to turn the shuttle around.

Before the shuttle could reach shore, a fire broke out. Passengers were forced to jump overboard, authorties said. All passengers made it out of the water. Some swam to shore, while others were pulled from the water.  

About 15 people were transported to hospitals for treatment. It's still unclear what started the fire. The shuttle takes passengers to and from the SunCruz Port Richey Casino boat. Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the U.S. Coast Guard also responded to the scene.