30 passengers evacuated from cruise ship grounded on Fiji reef
A cruise ship with 30 passengers ran aground on a reef near a tiny island in Fiji on Saturday. The MV Fiji Princess got stuck near Monuriki Island, forcing everyone on board to evacuate.
The MV Fiji Princess, operated by Blue Lagoon Cruises, ran aground on a reef near Monuriki Island in Fiji on Saturday. All 30 passengers and 17 of the ship's 31 crew members were safely evacuated the same day, according to Fiji's maritime rescue agency.
Monuriki Island is uninhabited and famous as the filming location for the movie "Cast Away" starring Tom Hanks. The small island is part of Fiji's Mamanuca group, a popular area for cruise ships and tourists.
Blue Lagoon Cruises operates small ships that take visitors around Fiji's islands. The company has not yet explained how the ship got stuck on the reef or what condition the vessel is in.
Details about what caused the grounding and the ship's current status are still emerging. Fourteen crew members remain with the vessel.
This shows how even experienced cruise operators can face unexpected dangers in remote island areas. Anyone planning a cruise should know that maritime accidents can happen, even in popular vacation spots.
Blue Lagoon Cruises will likely work to free the ship from the reef and investigate what went wrong.
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