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Cruise Ship Disasters

February 28, 2012 by · Comments Off on Cruise Ship Disasters 

Cruise Ship Disasters, More than 1,000 passengers, thought to include Britons, and crew were left stranded on board the Costa Allegra as it drifted, without engine power, 200 miles to the south-west of the main Seychelles archipelago.

Two French fishing trawlers, each 295 ft long, were on their way to the 600ft-long liner last night with the aim of giving the vessel emergency power before tugs reach the ship and tow her to safety.

The general region where the cruise ship was adrift – off the coast of Tanzania – has seen a rash of attacks by Somali pirates, but they have never hijacked a cruise ship.

Claudio Izzi, the Italian consul in the Seychelles, said a security detachment of nine Italian marines were on board and were “well trained and ready to protect civilians”.

Seychelles presidential spokeswoman Srdjana Janosevic added: “If pirates attack, the armed guards on-board will respond. But as far as I am aware, no pirates have been sighted in the area.”

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