MALAYSIA: Stricken Azamara Quest cruise ship passengers arrive in port; crew member who suffered severe smoke inhalation is hospitalised
Record ID:
861844
MALAYSIA: Stricken Azamara Quest cruise ship passengers arrive in port; crew member who suffered severe smoke inhalation is hospitalised
- Title: MALAYSIA: Stricken Azamara Quest cruise ship passengers arrive in port; crew member who suffered severe smoke inhalation is hospitalised
- Date: 2nd April 2012
- Summary: VARIOUS OF MEDICAL WORKERS WHEELING MAN FROM BACK OF AMBULANCE INTO HOSPITAL
- Embargoed: 17th April 2012 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Malaysia, Malaysia
- City:
- Country: Malaysia
- Topics: Accidents,Transport
- Reuters ID: LVA855SKGAJF2E86BKKDY09ER6MI
- Aspect Ratio:
- Story Text: A stricken luxury cruise ship with over 1,000 people on board arrived at a Malaysian port on Borneo late on Sunday (April 1) after spending more than a day in waters prowled by pirates.
Escorted by a Malaysian patrol vessel, the Azamara Quest dropped anchor at Sandakan port in Sabah state.
Five crew members who suffered from smoke inhalation were rushed to hospital after fire broke out in the ship's engine room on Friday (March 30).
Two ambulances from the General Hospital of Sandakan were deployed to attend to the five injured, but only one man was hospitalized.
Most of the ship's passengers were transferred to hotels upon arrival.
"I cannot say enough about the crew and the captain and all the people and how they took care of us. They did double duty, they worked so hard without sleep. Things happen. But they made the best of it for us, and the best thing we can say is how wonderful the crew was," said a woman for the U.S. Virgin Islands.
"It was a real disappointment that they - we had the fire on the ship and we had to get off. Our first preference would have been stay on the ship, but that couldn't be, so we're happy to be here," said passenger Brian Howard from Sydney.
"I understand that there's somes pirates in the area. But we had, as of last night we had the Philippine coast guard beside us. And I'm sure that we felt very secure then," said Dorothy Woods from Virginia.
The waters off the coast of the southern Philippines and northern Sabah are key hunting grounds for pirates and the Abu Sayyaf, an Islamic militant group.
This is the latest in a string of accidents that has focused global attention on the safety of modern cruise ships. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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