VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – A group of Maltese citizens are among 8,500 people, including passengers and crew, who are stranded at sea on board the cruise liner World Europa, operated by MSC. The passenger ship came to a sudden halt following engine failures and is currently stationary about 15 nautical miles off Naples. All passengers are reported to be safe and in good health, as they await a decision on whether the vessel will be towed to Naples or repaired at sea before proceeding to the nearest port.
Maltese passengers explained that the situation became evident once power went out on board, after which announcements were made urging everyone to remain calm. They added that the vessel is currently running on generators and that sea conditions are calm. The Italian coast guard has been informed of the incident, and tugboats have been dispatched — one from Gioia Tauro and another from Naples — to tow the cruise liner to port. MSC is also sending engineers on board to carry out the necessary repairs on this ship, which is one of the largest in its fleet. The vessel had been sailing on an itinerary that included Malta, Genoa, Naples, Messina in Italy, Barcelona in Spain, and Marseille in France.
– photo IPA Agency –
(ITALPRESS).
