Mediterranean Cruise Liner Hit by 26-Foot Wave
A Mediterranean cruise ship was hit by a 26-foot wave Wednesday evening, killing one German and one Italian passenger. Fourteen others sustained injuries.
The Cypriot-owned, Maltese flagged Louis Majesty is 660 feet long, with a crew of 580. It was running a 12-day circular route starting and ending in Genoa, calling in Marseilles, Tangiers, Casablanca, Tenerife, Lanzarote, Cadiz, Cartagena and Barcelona. She was carrying 1,350 passengers, and was originally scheduled to return to Genoa today.
The incident occurred shortly after the ship left Barcelona. The ship returned to that port around 10:00 p.m. GMT, and the dead and injured where removed by waiting ambulances.
The injured included a 62-year-old woman whose legs were broken.
The wave struck the forward part of the ship, breaking windows on a public area as high as the fifth deck, causing the casualties. Passengers were not permitted to leave the ship upon its return to Barcelona.
The cruise line, Louis Cruises, intends to return the ship to Genoa on March 12, after repairs are completed in Barcelona. The Louis Majesty's next cruise has been cancelled due to the accident.
Photo credit: Greek Cruises
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