New Costa Cruise Ship Accident: Boat Adrift in Seychelles

Following an on-board fire, a cruise ship owned by Costa is adrift off the Seychelles in the Indian ocean.

The Italian Coast Guard have contacted authorities in the Seychelles. The boat, identified as the Costa Allegra, is carrying about 1,000 passengers, according to Ireland's RTE News.

The fire was extinguished and all passengers are safe, but the ship's engines are currently stalled.

Costa, a subsidiary of cruising giant Carnival, is the same Italian company that owned the ill-fated Concordia, which sunk near the Tuscan island of Giglio in January. A total of 25 people, including passengers and crew members, died in the accident.

The sinking of the Concordia was blamed on Captain Francesco Schettino, who took an unauthorized turn and ran aground, but Costa has taken a substantial PR hit that is sure to worsen after the incident in the Seychelles. The company is currently facing a wave of lawsuits from injured passengers.

More on the Seychelles ship as it develops.