Falling lifeboat kills 5 crew on Thomson cruise ship in Canary Islands

[muriel_volestrangler]

This seemed to be news last night online (I didn't hear or watch any broadcast news that evening), but this morning, seems to have dropped almost out of sight. It seems to be that a British company killing 5 employees on the job is news.

Five crew members have died on a cruise ship operated by the British holiday firm Thomson after a lifeboat fell from the vessel during an emergency drill at La Palma in the Canary islands, according to Spanish officials.

Three other crew were injured in the incident on the Thomson Majesty, a 20-year-old ship owned by Cyprus-based Louis Cruises and leased to Thomson, which was moored at the island's capital, Santa Cruz. Testing lifeboats has a history of accidents, and a seafarers' union said it advised members not to sit in lifeboats being lowered during drills.

Government officials quoted emergency services as saying crews were sent to the dock just after midday local time (12pm GMT) after "a lifeboat with occupants had fallen overboard from a cruise ship docked at the pier".

According to Spanish reports those killed were believed to be three Indonesians, a Filipino and a Ghanaian. Two Greek nationals on the lifeboat were seriously injured, with another Filipino slightly hurt. It is believed the boat dropped 17 metres into the water before overturning. It was not known what caused the boat to fall.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/feb/10/falling-lifeboat-thomson-ship-canary-islands

[dipsydoodle]

1. I saw on the news last - Sky I think.

BBC link here with video : http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-21406564

It would seem a cable broke during a drill.