Captain of scuba dive boat is jailed over blaze which left 34 people dead

Firefighters attempt to put out the fire on the scuba dive boat Conception (Ventura County Fire Department via AP, File)

A federal judge on Thursday sentenced a scuba dive boat captain to four years in custody and three years supervised release for criminal negligence after 34 people died in a fire aboard the vessel.

The September 2 2019 blaze was the deadliest maritime disaster in recent US history, and prompted changes to maritime regulations, congressional reform and several ongoing lawsuits.