1,000 people left in pitch black after fire on Boudicca cruise ship
A cruise ship fire left more than one thousand passengers in pitch black off the coast of Morocco early on Sunday morning.
The fire in the engine room of the Boudicca cruise ship caused power cuts in the vessel.
Passengers were forced to don life jackets as the cruise ship drifted off the coast of Casablanca, Morocco for around five hours following the blaze at 4am, reports the Telegraph.
The Boudicca is one of four cruise liners owned by the UK-based, Norwegian-owned company Fred Olsen Cruise Lines.
Fred Olsen Cruise Lines issued a statement claiming Boudicca was fully operational and had five of its seven engines running, reports the BBC.
There were 784 passengers and 356 crew aboard the ship.
Fred Olsen spokeswoman Rachael Jackson said no passengers were injured in Sunday's fire.
She added that no passengers were asked to don life jackets or gather at muster stations as the situation was contained by crew members.
"The fire was in the engine room, but has now been extinguished, and no guests or crew have been injured," she said.
"The Boudicca listed for "a short period" but became stable and was travelling again, although more slowly than normal", she added.
Two main engines and three auxiliary engines are running, while two other engines are still being mended.
Boudicca was due to arrive in Lanzarote today after leaving Southampton on 20 January.
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