5 Dead in Canary Islands as Cruise Ship Drill Goes Awry

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. A government statement said rescue personnel were called dockside at 7:05am EST today after "a lifeboat with occupants had fallen overboard from a cruise ship docked at the pier of Santa Cruz port in La Palma." The BBC adds that the ship involved was the British-flagged Thomsen vessel Majesty, and that those killed were crew members participating in a safety drill. Britain's Foreign Office said it was "urgently investigating" the incident. (More cruise ships stories.)