It said MV Azamara Quest was drifting at sea off the Filipino province of Palawan since Friday night. “A fire broke out in the ship and luckily it was put out, but we have reports that five passengers were injured in the fire,” said Lieutenant Commander Algier Ricafrente, a spokesman for the Coast Guard.
He said the injured are all in stable condition and there is no need for a medical evacuation, but the Coast Guard has dispatched several ships to the area to assist the MV Azamara Quest which lost power.
“We are sending our vessels to provide assistance to the cruise ship because it has lost its power and drifting at sea,” he said.
Ricafrente said the Liberian ship, owned by Azamara Cruises, was carrying 590 passengers, mostly Europeans and American holidaymakers, and 411 crewmen. The ship, built in 2000, left the Port of Manila on Thursday and was heading to Sandakan in Malaysia when the fire broke out. (Mindanao Examiner)
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