VICTORIA, Seychelles — A Costa cruise ship carrying more than 1,000 people was adrift off the Seychelles in the Indian Ocean on Monday after a fire on board.
All passengers aboard the Costa Allegra were unharmed, and the fire was extinguished, but the ship was without propulsion and was drifting, the ANSA news agency reported.
The incident comes just a month after another Costa ship, the Costa Concordia, sank off the Italian coast, killing 32 people.
Lloyd’s List said the fire broke out around 260 miles (322 kilometers) off the Seychelles, according to a report from Rome rescue center.
The Italian coast guard said the fire was near the ship’s generators but did not spread elsewhere.
“The Costa Allegra’s engines are out, but its communications are working,” the coast guard said in a statement.
Ships in the vicinity were alerted to the situation, while authorities in the Seychelles — a popular tourist destination — dispatched tugs and a plane.
Costa Crociere said emergency procedures were followed, and the distress signal was sent out.
“The shipboard fire-extinguishing system and procedures were promptly activated, and the special fire-fighting squads intervened to extinguish fire,” it said in a statement. “The fire did not spread to any other area of the ship. There were no injuries or casualties.”
It added, “Inspections on the state of the engine room are ongoing, in order to restart the necessary equipment to reactivate the functionality of the ship.”
The company said there were 636 passengers of various nationalities and 413 crew members on board.
The ship left Madagascar on Saturday and was due to arrive in Victoria, the capital of the Seychelles, on Tuesday.
The incident comes after the Costa Concordia ran aground Jan. 13 off Italy’s Mediterranean coast with over 4,000 on board, killing 32.
The sinking of the Costa Concordia was marked by scenes of chaos and confusion on board, and the captain was later arrested and charged with abandoning ship and manslaughter. The ship remains partially submerged off the island of Giglio, and at least seven bodies have not yet been found.
Both ships were owned by Costa Crociere, which is a subsidiary of cruise giant Carnival.