French Port of Marseille - Giant Waves Hits Sailing Cruise Ship 2 Dead |
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News Source: AP
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French port of Marseille - Greek and Cypriot officials say 26-foot waves have crashed into a cruise ship with nearly 2,000 people on board off France, smashing glass windshields and killing two passengers.
Another six people suffered light injuries, a Greek coast guard statement says.
It says the accident occurred near the French Mediterranean port of Marseilles on Wednesday as the Cypriot-owned Louis Majesty was sailing from Barcelona to Genoa in Italy with 1,350 passengers and 580 crew.
The victims were only identified as a German and an Italian man.
Louis Cruise Lines spokesman Michael Maratheftis said the ship was hit by three “abnormally high” waves up to 26 feet (8 meters) high that broke glass windshields in the forward section. It is heading back to Barcelona.
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Read Comments (5) — Post Yours »
1
Mar 03, 2010 at 04:27 PM PMO Says:Report as Inappropriate
Such a tragic accident. Louis only started sailing this ship recently. They acquired it from NCL (it was the Norwegian Majesty). It used to sail from various ports on the east coast to Bermuda and has been one of the most well-known and popular ships in the northeast for the last 10 years or so. She is one of the last ships of her size (small by today's standards) built for the mid-market, as she was built just before the start of the mega-ship revolution. Louis spent months refurbishing the ship and she is nearly as beautiful as the day she was built. What an awful way to begin her inaugural year with Louis.
You may not realize it, but this ship was originally built as the Birka Queen, although she was sold before completion. She was going to be the newest fleetmate of the Birka Princess. The Birka Princess was also bought by Louis in 2006 and renamed Sea Diamond. During its first year with Louis, she hit rocks and sank off the coast of Santorini Greece.
2
Mar 03, 2010 at 05:15 PM awacs Says:Report as Inappropriate
Remember that the Ark was built by amateurs; the Titanic, by professionals.
3
Mar 03, 2010 at 05:55 PM Anonymous Says:Report as Inappropriate
It seems all of nature is angry, with 26 ft. waves, which they probably didn't expect. On the Pacific side, they were afraid of tsunamis because of the Chilean earthquake, but not the Atlantic. Guess Hashem is very angry! When these disasters happen in such frequency, there's a reason. So sorry that two people lost their lives because of these unusually high waves. Let's only hear of good things.
4
Mar 03, 2010 at 06:06 PM Anonymous Says:Report as Inappropriate
huge waves like this one on Mediterranean Sea is crazy, it wouldn't happen in "normal times", the nature is going to take its rights back... No big waves are to happen on the seas, but it's the case on the ocean... the Mediterranean Sea isn't a "sea" but an ocean, so little by little, the structure of the Mediterranean "Sea" will come back to its own fonctions. Remember : earthquake in Haiti, then Chili, big storm in European Atlantic Coast (France and Spain)... think about it, Nature's stronger we can't do anything but to realize we're only humans and can't control what we can, we as humans tried to control and change the world, the nature, to our own conveniences, this is a way to remind us to stop this
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Mar 07, 2010 at 10:13 AM Chaim'l Says:Report as Inappropriate
we have to pray hard to ask has-m to for mercy