Costa Allegra cruise ship being towed to island of Desroches

The stricken Costa Allegra cruise liner – left adrift in the Indian Ocean without power after a fire in the engine room – is under tow and expected to reach land by Wednesday, the Associated Press reported.

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In a statement, the Italian cruise operator Costa Crociere said the Allegra, with more than 1,000 aboard, is headed for the exclusive island resort of Desroches, which is part of the Seychelles.

It’s being towed by a French fishing ship, Trevignon, which was the first vessel to reach the area, and should reach land by about 2pm local time on Wednesday.

Costa Crociere also said a helicopter from the main Seychelles island of Mahe today delivered food and satellite phones to those aboard the Allegra, Agence France Presse reported.

Once passengers arrive on Desroches, where only planes with a capacity of 20 passengers are permitted to land, they will be flown to Mahe, the BBC reported.

The Costa Allegra is a sister ship to the Costa Concordia liner that ran aground a reef in the Mediterranean in January, killing at least 25 people.

Allegra issued a mayday call on Monday when a fire on board shut off power to its engines, as it was sailing from Madagascar to the Seychelles.

It is understood that the Italian coast guard is helping to coordinate rescue efforts.