THE LUXURY CRUISE ship which was stranded in the Indian Ocean after a fire in its generator room is expected to reach land tomorrow.
Although the fire on board the Costa Allegra was put out and no injuries report, conditions on board will be uncomfortable without electricity or air conditioning for the three days between the fire and the ship’s expected arrival at the Seychelles.
The Allegra’s operator Costa Crociere SpA says that a small generator delivered by an Indian naval ship could help restore some basic services to the ship and fresh bread and 400 torches will be delivered to passengers by helicopter today.
A spokesperson said that water and fruit, cheeses, nuts and other cold foods were already available to those on board.
A French fishing vessel was first on the scene and began towing the Allegra towards the shore. In a statement yesterday, the company said that two tug boats had already reached the ship and were assisting the vessel. It is being towed to the Seychelles island Mahé.
The ship’s operator has sent a 14-person team to Mahé to begin making arrangements for the Allegra’s arrival tomorrow morning. Officials on the islands had earlier warned that visitor levels on the islands are currently high and there is limited accommodation available.
A Seychelles civil aviation official said that planes were being lined up to fly the Allegra passengers to Rome within hours of their arrival on shore.
There are 1,049 passengers and crew on board the cruise ship and it belongs to the same line as the Costa Concordia, which struck rocks off the Italian shore last month and capsized.
In this ITN report, one woman explains how her family was caught up in both cruise ship disasters:
(Video via itnnews)
- Additional reporting by the AP
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