The MSC World Europa, the cruise ship stranded this morning off the coast of Ponza due to an engine failure, has set sail. According to reports, technicians on board were able to restart the propulsion system, and the ship is now proceeding slowly but autonomously toward the port of Naples. The MSC is being escorted by Coast Guard patrol boats, which are in constant contact with the ship's captain, and two tugboats from Naples and Gioia Tauro are also arriving in the area.
The failure occurred this morning approximately 8 nautical miles off the island of Ponza. According to the Coast Guard, the problem occurred at 7:25 this morning when the cruise ship, sailing from Genoa to Naples—carrying 8,585 people (6,496 passengers and 2,089 crew members)—reported an electrical problem with its engines.
The situation on board, as confirmed by the Coast Guard, remained calm despite the state of alert and the ship awaited the arrival of maintenance workers and tugboats.
(Unioneonline/vf)
