Manila: A cruise ship that caught fire was now heading toward eastern Malaysia after a fire that disabled its engines has been put out, the Philippine coastguard said on Saturday. The fire injured five crew members.
Coast Guard Captain Perfecto Eden said the Azamara Quest, carrying 600 passengers and 411 crew and which made a port call in Manila on Wednesday, is now on its way to Sandakan port after the fire was put out on Saturday.
"All passengers are safe," Eden told reporters about the status of the Azamara Quest, a vessel operated by Miami-based Azamara Club Cruises.
A Philippine Navy ship is escorting the cruise until it crosses the Malaysian maritime border, Eden added.
The fire on the ship started late on Friday, a day after it left Manila for Sandakan, Malaysia, said coast guard spokesman Lt. Cmdr. Algier Ricafrente. He said there were no other details about the incident.
The ship's operator, Azamara Club Cruises, said in a statement that no passengers were injured in the fire, which was in one of the ship's engine rooms and was immediately extinguished. But five crew members suffered smoke inhalation, including one who was seriously injured and needed hospital care.
The vessel was about 139 kilometres southwest of the Philippines' Tubbataha Reef when the coast guard received the report of the fire early Saturday from a local ferry and a towage company in Manila.
There was no direct contact with the ship's crew, Ricafrente said, adding that the coast guard would investigate why Philippine authorities did not receive any distress call during the fire.
The cruise company's statement said the ship was running on emergency power in "calm seas" near Indonesia's Borneo Island.
Engineers have restored power to one of the ship's engines to re-establish air conditioning, running water, plumbing, refrigeration and food preparation, the company said.
"While the ship does not have propulsion capabilities at this time, it is in the process of being repaired," it said.
The company said the rest of the ship's voyage would be canceled.
The vessel left Hong Kong on Monday for what was supposed to be a 17-day cruise. The ship was scheduled to make port calls in Manila and Sandakan, as well as several stops in Indonesia, before arriving in Singapore on April 12.
