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One dead, two in hospital after Harmony of the Seas lifeboat accident
Harmony of the Seas has been held in Marseille in France after one person died and another four were seriously injured when a lifeboat fell from the fifth deck of the cruise ship yesterday morning.
The four injured were taken to hospital and the local fire service claimed two were in a critical condition, but this morning a spokeswoman for the cruise line said their injuries were not life-threatening. The two less seriously hurt have been released from hospital.
Harmony, the world’s largest cruise ship, was docked in the port in the south of France when the lifeboat broke free from the ship, plunging 10 feet into the sea.
It had five people onboard, all members of the ship’s navigation crew. They were taking part in a safety drill. The crew member who died was from a 42-year-old assistant engineer from the Philippines. Three of the injured are also from the Philippines. The fifth crew member is from India.
The 5,479-passenger ship, launched by Royal Caribbean only four months ago, is currently on an eight-day cruise around the Mediterranean. It has been temporarily halted in Marseille following yesterday’s accident.
The cruise line released the following statement: "We are sorry to share the sad news that a crew member aboard Harmony of the Seas has died of injuries sustained during a lifeboat drill conducted while docked at the port of Marseille, France. Our crew member was a 42 year old assistant electrical engineer from the Philippines.
"Four other crew members were injured in the same incident. Two of the four have been released from hospital, while the other two continue to receive the best medical care available in Marseille. Three of the crew members are also from the Philippines, while the fourth is from India.
"We are keeping our colleagues and their families in our thoughts and prayers."
Three years ago a similar accident happened on Thomson Cruises Thomson Majesty as she was docked in Santa Cruz on La Palma. After that accident, in which five crew members were died and three were injured, there were calls to stop lifeboat drills involving people.
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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