Fire Sets Costa Sister Ship Adrift

Another public relations nightmare for operators of the Costa Concordia—though this time, no one was hurt. Concordia sister ship the Costa Allegra suffered a fire in its engine room, prompting the engines to be shut off some 260 miles from the Seychelles in the Indian Ocean. Now the Allegra is largely under a blackout, with emergency battery power in the cabin. A number of vessels and a plane have been sent to help tow the ship to the Seychelles.

It's due in tomorrow morning, ANSA reports. Some 636 passengers and 413 crew members were aboard the ship. "The shipboard fire-extinguishing system and procedures were promptly activated and the special fire-fighting squads intervened to extinguish the fire," the company said in a statement, according to the Guardian. (More Costa Concordia stories.)