The Costa cruise ship “Allegra,” carrying more than 1,000 passengers, was disabled in the Indian Ocean today by an on board fire. The ship became disabled more than 200 miles off the Seychelles island, in waters that are notorious for its pirate activity. The ship is now being towed by a fishing vessel.
Conditions aboard the ship are said to be safe, and no one was hurt in the fire, which was in a generator room.
Costa Cruise Lines is owned by Florida based Carnival Cruise Lines. In a statement the company said “The shipboard fire-extinguishing system and emergency procedures were activated promptly and special fire-fighting squads extinguished the fire.”
For added security, several members of the Italian Navy are aboard the ship, in order to prevent any attack by pirates.
The Allegra is a 20 year old ship. It had left Madagascar on Saturday, with a scheduled stop at the port of Victoria on Tuesday. Officials say the the ship will reach land sometime Thursday.
Primary Source: http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/02/27/2663935/costa-allegra-fire-sets-ship-adrift.html