A fire broke out on a lifeboat attached to the 65,591-ton MSC Lirica in Corfu, Greece on Saturday. The good news is that no passengers were onboard, as the ship is still being prepared to restart service. Additionally, no crew members from the ship's onboard skeleton crew were injured, and the fire along the starboard exterior side of the 902-foot-long vessel was extinguished.
MSC Cruises also says preliminary findings show there is no interior damage to MSC Lirica, although one side of the ship's exterior sustained fire and smoke damage.
MSC Cruises' U.S. office in Fort Lauderdale, FL, provided this statement, issued on Saturday from Corfu:
"[Saturday] at 15:42 local time in Corfu, where she is currently in warm lay-up, MSC Lirica reported a fire incident into the MSC Maritime Support Centre in London, U.K. The fire originated from one of the ship’s starboard-side fiberglass lifeboats on deck 6.
"The fire has since been brought under control thanks to the intervention of the ship’s two fire brigades and the support of the local emergency services. The incident operation was declared completed by 18:58 local time. There were no injuries among the 51 crew who were onboard the ship at the time of the incident. From a preliminary assessment, there was no damage to the inside of the ship but only to her side due to the flames and the dense black smoke caused by the fiberglass lifeboats.
"A full investigation is now in progress."
When MSC Lirica is able to restart revenue cruising with passengers onboard, it can carry a total of 2,568 guests, double occupancy. They're served by 752 crew members. Built in 2003 and refurbished in 2015, the ship has 999 staterooms, including four accessible accommodations.
For more information on MSC Cruises, visit www.msccruisesusa.com.
Related Stories
Advisors Upbeat at Crystal's Plan for Bahamian Cruises This July
Lindblad Acquires DuVine Cycling, Off the Beaten Path LLC
Celebrity Outlines 2023 Galapagos Itineraries on Three Ships