Striken cruise ship to be towed to Seychelles

(BBC): The Italian cruise ship left adrift with more than 1,000 people on board after a power failure now faces a longer journey before reaching land. The Costa Allegra is being towed to the main island in the Seychelles, rather than a nearer island, and is not now due to arrive until Thursday. A fire in the ship's generator room on Monday caused it to lose all power. The ship is from the same fleet as the Costa Concordia, which capsized off the Italian coast in January, killing 32. A statement from the ship's owners Costa Cruises said that after checking with maritime experts, it had decided that the planned disembarkation on the smaller-but-nearer Desroches Island could not go ahead.

It said the facilities on the island were inadequate to cope with the arrival of so many people.
The statement also said it was not safe enough for the ship to dock in the small port and for guests to get ashore.

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