A cruise ship has been left adrift in the Indian ocean following a fire on board which resulted in a loss of power.
The blaze broke out in the generator room of the Costa Allegra on Monday, when it was around 200 miles of the Seychelles coast. Although the on-board fire suppression system activated and firefighting crew members extinguished the fire, all main power to the ship was lost.
The ship sent out a distress signal and all passengers and crew not involved in fighting the fire were sent to their muster stations. There were no casualties and the fire did not spread beyond the generator room.
The ship is now being towed by a French fishing vessel and two tugs have been sent to help the operation. Originally the ship was to have been towed to Desroches island, but experts have decided that facilities there are not adequate to cope with the size of the vessel, so it is making a longer journey to the main island and is due to arrive on Thursday.
The ship is from the same fleet as the Costa Concordia which capsized off the Italian coast last month killing 32 people.
There are 627 passengers and 413 crew on board, as well as nine Italian marines on security duty as a precaution against pirates.
A helicopter is supplying the ship with essential supplies and communications equipment such as satellite phones and and VHF radios, as well as torches to make life easier during darkness.
In a statement on its website, Costa Cruises details some of the fire safety aspects of the vessel. This includes the design of the ship’s structure which is divided into fire compartments with thick metal bulkheads and fire doors.
All ship spaces are equipped with fire detectors which automatically signal the presence of smoke or high temperature to the bridge, and the vessel is also equipped with manual call points. Ventilation and extraction systems are equipped with heat-activated fire dampers.
The ship is also fitted with thousands of water mist/sprinkler heads, says the company, as well as other fixed firefighting systems for areas such as machine rooms and galleys.
In addition, some crew members are specially trained in firefighting techniques, and all are trained how to react in case of fire.