Italian cruise ship being towed in Indian Ocean

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NAIROBI, Kenya – The stranded Italian cruise ship Costa Allegra is being towed by two French fishing vessels in the Indian Ocean to a nearby Seychelles island.

Reports are the ship is not expected to reach the tiny resort island until tomorrow.

Seychelles authorities said they are making arrangements to move people to the island of Desroches and then to transfer the more than 1,000 passengers and crew members to the main Seychelles island of Mahe by plane and fast boats.

Desroches is a small, exclusive coral-lined island that has seen such visitors as Prince William and Kate Middleton before the two married.

The Costa Allegra lost power yesterday after a fire in its generator room. The fire knocked out power to the ship’s engines as well as to its lights and air conditioning.

The power burnout came six weeks after the Costa Concordia capsized, killing 25 people and leaving seven missing and presumed dead. Both ships are operated by Costa Crociere SpA, which is owned by the Florida-based Carnival Corp.

There are 636 passengers on board the Allegra from 25 countries — most are from Europe, but there are 13 Canadians on board with a crew of just over 400.

No one was injured in the fire, but the blaze set the cruise liner adrift at sea in a region where Somali pirates prey on ships.

Earlier today, the cruise ship company said that a helicopter took off from Seychelles’ main island and will take food, satellite phones and VHF radios to the ship. Guests have been asked to prepare their luggage for departure.

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