MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
“Harmony of the Seas” tragic accident during a security drill in Marseille
The accident happened when one of the ship's life boats with five people on board became detached during a “simple security drill” while a stopover in Marseille. One person has been killed and four others left seriously injured in Marseille after an accident on board the Harmony of the Seas, the world's largest cruise liner. The fatal accident comes just three months after the cruise liner hit the high seas for its much-hyped inaugural voyage. The victim was from the Philippines and was aged 42-years-old. The other victims were three Filipinos and an Indian man.
According to the local Provence newspaper the accident happened when one of the ship's life boats with five people on board became detached during a “simple security exercise” while the ship was in a stopover at the port of Marseille.
The life boat plunged some 10 meters, according to the Julien Ruas, one of the deputy mayors of Marseille said. It fell from the fifth level on the side of the boat that was facing the sea, rather than the side that adjacent to the quay.
The victims were members of the cruise ship’s crew. Two of four injured are said to be in a critical condition after suffering multiple injuries, while the other two were not believed to be in a life threatening condition.
The lifeboat “became detached” from the ship with five people on board, the spokesman said. It is not immediately known why the rescue boat became detached.
An investigation has been opened to find out why “the cable or the fastenings” holding the lifeboat in place gave way, said the Marseille prosecutor. “The boat fell suddenly into the water,” he said.
The Harmony of the Seas had only arrived in Marseille early on Tuesday from the Spanish island of Majorca.
The 120,000-ton Harmony of the Seas, capable of accommodating more than 8,000 passengers and crew in the most luxurious conditions. At 66 meters, it is the widest cruise ship ever built, while its 362-metre length makes it 50 meters longer than the height of the Eiffel Tower.
The immense floating town, which cost close to one billion Euros, has 16 decks and will be able to carry 6,360 passengers and 2,100 crew members. The ship was built for the US-based Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd (RCCL) by the STX France boatyard in Saint-Nazaire on the Atlantic coast.
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Read all comments“One person has been killed and four others left seriously injured....The victim was from the Philippines and was aged 42-years-old. The other victims were three Filipinos and an Indian man.”
Sep 14th, 2016 - 07:18 pm 0Of course they were: they were members of the crew!
Their training must be of a particularly low standard for one of them to activate the disengage lever, unless there was yet another engineering problem so common on the US-based Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd and others who insist on putting to sea on a planned date thus minimizing depleted cash flow.
I wonder how the cash flow looks after they cost in the wrecking of the harbor last month.
My best friend loves going on these disasters waiting to happen and cannot see why I wouldn't go on one for love nor money.
He has however been marooned sans engine power due to a 'minor' engine room malfunction in the Med. Fortunately he and his invalided wife were not injured and the damn thing didn't set on fire like so many have.
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