Long tow for stranded ship

A cruise liner owned by the same company as the capsized Costa Concordia was being towed by a French fishing ship on Tuesday 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 Tuesday night, is being towed by the French ocean vessel Trevignon, route direction is Desroches Island,” Costa Cruises spokesman Davide Barbano said in a statement.

Desroches Island is about 230 km southwest of Mahe, the main island in the Seychelles archipelago.

The ship is expected to reach Desroches on Wednesday morning, Barbano said. A helicopter was on its way to the Costa Allegra bringing food, satellite phones and radios.