Cruise Liner Costa Allegra Adrift After Engine Room Fire

SOURCES February 28, 2012

Costa Allegra: Credit Wikimedia CCL Jean-Philippe Boulet

Cruise Liner Costa Allegra Adrift in the Indian Ocean After Engine Room Fire

According to Reuters on 28, February 2012, the Costa Cruises Costa Allegra was adrift in the Indian Ocean after an engine room fire had been extinguished. None of the 636 passengers and 413 crew was reported hurt.

LATER: Costa Cruises released the following statement: The company was notified that a fire had broken out aboard the Costa Allegra in the electric generators room. The shipboard fire-extinguishing system and procedures were promptly activated and the special fire-fighting squads intervened to extinguish fire. The fire did not spread to any other area of the ship.

Currently the ship is over 200 miles south-west of the Seychelles, and about 20 miles from Alphonse Island. Inspections on the state of the engine room are on-going, in order to restart the necessary equipment to reactivate ship functions.

The ship departed from Diego Suarez on Saturday, Feb. 25 and was cruising toward the port of Victoria, Seychelles) where it was expected to arrive tomorrow Feb. 28.

The Allegra, built at Mariotti on a cargo ship hull in 1992, is 28,597 tons, 188 meters in length, and has eight passenger decks and 399 cabins.

BREAKING NEWS: Seychelles Coastguard reported Costa Allegra had been taken in tow towards the nearest port, Victoria.