British Tourists Hurt In Cruise Liner Smash

Three crew members have been killed and three British tourists are in a stable condition in hospital after a luxury cruise liner smashed into a pier in Egypt, officials say. Skip related content

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The incident happened in the popular resort town of Sharm el Sheikh and bad weather is being blamed for the crash.

The Costa Europa, which was carrying about 1,400 passengers, suffered damage to its right side after hitting the pier as it docked.
Officials from the General Authority for Red Sea Ports said the crew members who died were an Indian, a Honduran and a Brazilian - the trio were thought to be sailors.
They also said three British women and an Italian man were taken to hospital after the smash in the early hours of the morning.
The officials said the four were tourists - but other reports said three of them were passengers and one was a crew member.
An official said: "The ship hit the pavement of the harbour causing a big hole in the ship's body.
"The deaths and injuries occurred due to the strength of the crash."
Many of the passengers are now staying in hotels while the Costa Europa, which had travelled from the Red Sea port town of Safaga, is repaired.
In a statement, the operator Costa Cruises told Sky News Online: "At around 4.45am local time, Costa Europa, while docking in Sharm el Sheikh port, hit the pier and has reported damage on the right side.
"We sadly have to confirm that three crew members are deceased. We can confirm that three passengers and one crew member were taken to the city hospital. The ship is now safely docked in port.
"All guests have disembarked and most are accommodated in hotels. We are arranging their flights back to their destinations."
The liner, which weighs 55,000 tonnes, had been on an 18-day cruise from Dubai to Savona in Italy.