Costa Allegra Cruise Ship Fire Latest Disaster for Costa Crociere Luxury Liner Company
Coming on the heels of the fatal Costa Concordia grounding, yet another Costa Crociere SpA luxury liner, which is owned by Miami-based Carnival Cruise Lines, is in trouble.
The Costa Allegra, which has over 1,000 passengers aboard, found itself dead in the water in the Indian Ocean after a fire in the engine room shut down all power to the ship. The Daily Beast reports that the fire was put out fairly quickly and was confined to the generator room. However, passengers were told to gather at their muster stations with lifejackets on and to be ready to abandon ship at any moment.
The Allegra was stalled off the coast of Tanzania, prompting rescue crews and Coast Guard ships to race to the scene because of fears that the crippled cruise liner would be easy prey for Somali pirates who frequent the waters in the area. A French trawler that answered the SOS call towed the ship back to Seychelles Island.
An Italian Coast Guard spokesman says that the toilets have not been working since the fire knocked out power and Costa Crociere officials have offered bottles of mineral water for “personal hygiene needs.” Passengers have endured three days of sweltering temperatures on deck because the air-conditioning was also disabled and hundreds of flashlights have been issued because there are no lights onboard.
So far, there have been no reported injuries.
The Florida cruise ship accident attorneys at Farah & Farah are keeping close tabs on this story as it develops and we certainly hope for the safe return of all passenger and crew. If you have questions or want to discuss your legal options following any cruise ship incident, please call us at (800) 533-3555.
Sources: http://news.nationalpost.com/2012/02/29/costa-allegra-passengers-face-sweltering-conditions-with-no-power/; http://www.thefloridanewsjournal.com/2012/02/28/crews-race-save-powerless-cruise-ship-coast-somalia
