Costa Allegra adrifts in the Indian Ocean

VICTORIA - Reuters

Costa Allegra drifts in the Indian Ocean after an engine room fire. REUTERS photo

A cruise liner owned by the same company as the capsized Costa Concordia was being towed by a French fishing ship yesterday to an island in the Seychelles, after an engine room fire left it adrift in the Indian Ocean.

Costa Cruises said the fire on the Costa Allegra had been put out and none of the 636 passengers and 413 crew were hurt. The cause of the blaze was still unclear. “Costa Allegra, since tonight, is being towed by the French ocean vessel Trevignon, route direction is Desroches Island,” Costa Cruises spokesman Davide Barbano said in a statement.

Cold breakfast

Desroches Island is about 230 kilometers southwest of Mahe, the main island in the Seychelles archipelago. The ship was expected to reach Desroches today, Barbano said. He added that a helicopter was on its way to the Costa Allegra bringing food, satellite phones and radios. A cold breakfast was served yesterday and passengers had been asked to prepare their luggage for disembarking, he said. Costa Concordia capsized on Jan. 13 after hitting rocks off the Italian island of Giglio, killing at least 25 people. Divers and rescue workers are still searching for the bodies of seven missing people.