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Cruise ship fire leaves 4,500 stranded off Mexico coast

09 November 2010 19:40 (UTC +04:00)

Baku â€“ APA. A cruise ship which sailed from California has caught fire and is having to be towed back to shore, with 4,500 people on-board but unharmed, APA reports quoting BBC.
The Carnival Splendor was 200 miles (310km) south of San Diego, when the blaze broke out on Monday morning, said owners Carnival Cruise Lines.
Tugboats will tow the ship to port and the US Navy is also sending an aircraft carrier to help.
Passengers will get a full refund.
The 952ft (290m) Carnival Splendor sailed from Long Beach, California, on Monday for a seven-day cruise of the Mexican Riviera.
There are 3,299 passengers on board, along with 1,167 crew.
The fire in the engine room cut off most power supplies. Toilets and cold running water were restored on Monday night.
Air conditioning, hot food service and telephones are not working.
The ship has been drifting 55 miles (90km) off the coast of Mexico.
When the fire started, passengers were initially asked to move from their cabins to the open upper deck.
Later, they were allowed to go back to their rooms.
Bottled water and cold food items were provided, the cruise company said.
The US Navy is sending the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan to help.
A plane will take 35 pallets of supplies to the carrier for transfer by helicopter to the stricken cruise ship.
Sixteen Britons are among the passengers on board.