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Passengers Stuck on Foul, Disabled Cruise Ship


Passengers aboard a disabled cruise ship in the Gulf of Mexico are complaining about foul conditions and long lines for food.

More than 4,000 people are aboard the Carnival Cruise Lines' Carnival Triumph ship. The vessel left Galveston, Texas Thursday for a four-day cruise. On Sunday, an engine room fire knocked out its primary power source, crippling its water and plumbing systems and leaving it adrift 240 kilometers off Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula.

Some passengers reported flooded rooms and sewage in hallways. They are sleeping on the ships' decks to avoid hot and smelly cabins.

Carnival CEO Gerry Cahill told reporters on Tuesday that the cruise line is using its full resources to assist passengers and family members in a "very challenging" situation.

The ship is being towed to Mobile, Alabama and is expected to arrive Thursday. Carnival says an earlier plan to tow the ship to Progreso, Mexico changed after the ship drifted north due to strong currents.



The U.S. Coast Guard and National Transportation Safety Board have launched an investigation into the cause of the fire in the engine room. The NTSB says in statement that because the vessel is Bahamian-flagged, the Bahamas Maritime Authority is the primary investigating agency.

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