Engine-room fire on Royal Princess

A fire broke out in the engine room of the cruise ship Royal Princess (above) as the ship was leaving Port Said in Egypt this evening.
The boutique-style ship, carrying 733 passengers and 393 crew, is in the middle of a 12-night Holy Land cruise from Rome to Athens, and was due to dock at Ashdod, in Israel tomorrow, for excursions to Jerusalem.
A Princess Cruises spokesman said: “At approximately 8:10 pm local time, an engine room fire broke out aboard Royal Princess, as the ship was departing Port Said, Egypt.
“The fire is now extinguished, and the ship is currently anchored approximately five miles off the coast of Port Said. All passengers and crew have been accounted for, and passengers remain at their emergency stations as a precautionary measure until further notice. The ship is operating on emergency power and lighting.
“Assessments of any damage will be made over the next several hours, at which time we will be able to provide further information about how the remainder of the cruise may be impacted.”