Thirty passengers were evacuated from a cruise ship after it ran aground on a reef in Fiji, the vessel’s owner confirmed on Monday.
The MV Fiji Princess, operated by Blue Lagoon Cruises, became stranded on Saturday near Monuriki Island, an area famously featured in the 2000 Tom Hanks film Cast Away.
The Fiji-based tourism company stated that while investigations are ongoing, initial indications suggest a “severe squall” caused the ship’s anchor to drag towards a nearby reef, leading to the grounding.
A ferry was deployed at first light on Sunday to assist the 55.52-metre ship, allowing all 30 passengers to disembark safely with their luggage and belongings.
No injuries were reported, and the passengers were subsequently transported to Denarau Island.
The Fiji Navy told ABC that about 30 crew were also on board.
“All were safely rescued yesterday and moved to [Port] Denarau,” a spokesperson said. “We understand there still some crew members on board. There were no reported injuries and all were safe.”
Blue Lagoon Cruises also confirmed that pumpable fuel and other oils stored onboard had been removed by Monday, significantly diminishing any potential environmental risks.
“Conditions upon the ship anchoring in the area were calm, and it appears a severe squall caused the ship’s anchor to drag towards a nearby reef whereby the ship became grounded,” a spokesperson said.
A salvage specialist from Australia had been on the scene since Sunday overseeing recovery efforts, the statement said.
The Maritime Safety Authority of Fiji (Msaf) said its officers had arrived to assess the stricken ship on Saturday.
“Initial checks confirmed that the vessel has suffered serious damage to its rear left side, including the area where the steering equipment is located. Part of the vessel underneath has also been damaged,” a spokesperson said.
“The vessel also experienced engine failure and was reported to be taking in water following the grounding. Due to rough seas and strong waves, officers were unable to safely inspect the vessel underwater at the time.”
Monuriki Island is part of the Mamanuca Island chain, on which the US version of reality show Survivor has been filmed since 2016.
