#CruiseLiners - The Guardian reports that five crew members on a British-operated cruise liner in the Canary Islands have died after a lifeboat fell 17 metres from the side of the ship and overturned during an emergency drill.
The crew - believed to include Indonesians, a Filipino and a Ghanaian - are thought to have been on board the lifeboat as it was being lowered from the vessel at the time of the incident.
Lifeboat launch drills are notorious for accidents, according to seafarers' union Nautilus International, who added that "there's been research which suggests that more people are dying in lifeboat drills than are being saved by lifeboats."
The Canary Islands are a popular holiday destination for people from Ireland and all over Europe seeking some winter sunshine. Reports say 2,000 passengers were on the cruise ship at the time but none were involved in the emergency drill.
The Guardian has much more on the story HERE.
