Spanish officials say five people have been killed and three injured when a lifeboat fell into the sea off a cruise ship that was tied up at the port of Santa Cruz in the Canary Islands.

Citing the islands' Emergency and Security Coordination Center, a government statement said rescue personnel were called to the dockside at 1205 GMT (7:05 a.m. EST) Sunday after "a lifeboat with occupants had fallen overboard from a cruise ship docked at the pier of Santa Cruz port in La Palma."

The nationality or sex of those who died was not known, the statement said, adding that the injured were all men, two aged 30 and another, a Greek national, was 32 years old.

National broadcaster RTVE said the cruise ship was British registered.