2 dead, 6 injured when 26-foot wave hits cruise ship in Mediterranean off France

[n2doc]

By Associated Press
11:54 a.m. CST, March 3, 2010

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Greek and Cypriot officials say 26-foot waves have crashed into a cruise ship with nearly 2,000 people on board off France, smashing glass windshields and killing two passengers.

Another six people suffered light injuries, a Greek coast guard statement says.

It says the accident occurred near the French Mediterranean port of Marseilles on Wednesday as the Cypriot-owned Louis Majesty was sailing from Barcelona to Genoa in Italy with 1,350 passengers and 580 crew.

The victims were only identified as a German and an Italian man.

Louis Cruise Lines spokesman Michael Maratheftis said the ship was hit by three "abnormally high" waves up to 26 feet (8 meters) high that broke glass windshields in the forward section. It is heading back to Barcelona.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/sns-ap-eu-mediterranean-cruise-ship-accident,0,5227187.story

[hlthe2b]

1. Windshields?

I don't understand what exactly happened. :shrug:

[ET Racer]

2. Possibly a language conflict

or maybe they hit them head on, crashing into the bridge?

[Liberal_in_LA]

3. me either. ???

[n2doc]

4. Here's a better link

Two passengers on a cruise ship sailing off the coast of France today were killed when a series of massive waves struck the vessel.

Cyprus-based Louis Cruise Lines says the incident occurred aboard the 1,790-passenger Louis Majesty as it was sailing from Barcelona to Genoa, Italy. The line says the "abnormal" waves smashed windows as high as deck five on the vessel.

"The windows in a public area on deck 5 on the forward part of the vessel smashed resulting (in) the fatal injury of two passengers of German and Italian nationality while 14 more passengers suffered light injuries," the line says in a statement.

http://www.usatoday.com/travel/cruises/item.aspx?type=blog&ak=81618.blog

[hlthe2b]

9. ahh. thanks...

Makes a bit more sense.

[wildflower]

5. Are these waves related to the recent earthquakes?

[n2doc]

6. No. Storm waves, not Tsunamis n/t

[flvegan]

7. Could have been 3 of those "rogue waves" I've heard/read about.

Interesting stuff, those things.

[Lex]

8. Rogue waves freak me out.

http://scienceblogs.com/deepseanews/2007/04/rogue_waves.php