02-29-2012, 08:12 AM
The Italian cruise ship Costa Allegra is being towed by a French tuna fishing boat through the pirate-infested waters of the Indian Ocean to the Seychelles
1 of 1![[Image: 00059b00-314.jpg]](http://img.rasset.ie/00059b00-314.jpg)
Costa Allegra liner lost power when a fire broke out
1,000 people on board the Costa Allegra spent a second night on the ship's decks in sweltering temperatures after a fire on Monday took out the air-conditioning system along with the entire power supply and the engines.
The boat "is coming slowly, but is coming," said a Seychelles coastguard official who declined to be named, speaking at the command centre in port where the ship's progress is tracked on a giant map.
The liner was expected to arrive into port in Mahe, the main island of the Seychelles archipelago, at around 0500 GMT tomorrow.
The Trevignon, a French tuna fishing boat, responded to the Costa Allegra's mayday call and has been towing the boat solo, at a speed of around six knots 11km/h through calm seas.
Helicopters have delivered food to the stricken vessel and footage filmed during the delivery showed people crowded around one of the cruise ship's swimming pools.
The fire broke out near the ship's generators in the engine room as the Costa Allegra was making its way from Madagascar, which it departed on Saturday, to the Seychelles, where it had been due to arrive on yesterday.
Emergency crews on board extinguished the fire after a few hours and no one was injured, but the liner was left powerless and adrift.
However, a Seychelles coast guard vessel brought a small emergency power generator to the Costa Allegra yesterday to help restore some basic services, while two Seychelles tugboats were also on hand to provide support if needed.
1 of 1
Costa Allegra liner lost power when a fire broke out
1,000 people on board the Costa Allegra spent a second night on the ship's decks in sweltering temperatures after a fire on Monday took out the air-conditioning system along with the entire power supply and the engines.
The boat "is coming slowly, but is coming," said a Seychelles coastguard official who declined to be named, speaking at the command centre in port where the ship's progress is tracked on a giant map.
The liner was expected to arrive into port in Mahe, the main island of the Seychelles archipelago, at around 0500 GMT tomorrow.
The Trevignon, a French tuna fishing boat, responded to the Costa Allegra's mayday call and has been towing the boat solo, at a speed of around six knots 11km/h through calm seas.
Helicopters have delivered food to the stricken vessel and footage filmed during the delivery showed people crowded around one of the cruise ship's swimming pools.
The fire broke out near the ship's generators in the engine room as the Costa Allegra was making its way from Madagascar, which it departed on Saturday, to the Seychelles, where it had been due to arrive on yesterday.
Emergency crews on board extinguished the fire after a few hours and no one was injured, but the liner was left powerless and adrift.
However, a Seychelles coast guard vessel brought a small emergency power generator to the Costa Allegra yesterday to help restore some basic services, while two Seychelles tugboats were also on hand to provide support if needed.