At least 30 passengers were evacuated after a cruise ship ran aground on a reef off Fiji, with the ship’s operator reporting that the incident did not result in injuries. The MV Fiji Princess, operated by Blue Lagoon Cruises, ran aground Saturday near Monuriki Island, a tourism operator said in a statement, describing the area as the setting of the 2000 movie “Cast Away” starring Tom Hanks.
In its statement released Monday, Blue Lagoon Cruises said “Whilst the investigation is in its early stages, 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,” according to the company.
The company said a ferry was brought alongside the 55.52-meter (182-foot) ship at first light on Sunday. Blue Lagoon Cruises said 30 passengers disembarked with their luggage and belongings and were taken to Denarau Island.
The statement also said environmental risk mitigation steps were underway. Blue Lagoon Cruises said pumpable fuel, as well as other oils stored onboard the ship, had been removed by Monday.
Blue Lagoon Cruises added that a salvage specialist from Australia had been on the scene since Sunday overseeing recovery efforts. The Maritime Safety Authority of Fiji, described as an industry regulator, did not respond to a request for comment Monday.