MANILA, Philippines, March 31 (UPI) -- A luxury cruise ship was running on emergency power Saturday in waters south of the Philippines after a fire in the engine room, officials said.
The fire broke out Friday night on the Azamara Quest and the Philippine Coast Guard said five people were injured, four suffering bruises and a fifth reportedly in unstable condition with neurological damage from prolonged heat and smoke exposure, the Philippine Daily Inquirer reported.
The Philippine Coast Guard said one of its ships would accompany the vessel to Malaysia.
Coast Guard Capt. Perfecto Eden said the ship was on it its way to Sandakan port, in the eastern Malaysian state of Sabah, Sky News reported.
The Azamara Quest, with 590 passengers and 411 crew aboard, was en route from Manila to Sandakan.
The ship is owned by Miami-based Royal Caribbean Cruises.
The fire was reported to have broken out in the engine room awhile the ship was in the Sulu sea, about 75 nautical miles south of Tubbattaha Reef. The Sulu Sea is between the Philippines and Borneo Island, most of which is Indonesian territory.
The five injured people were to be dropped off at the next port of call, a Coast Guard official said.
In January, the Italian cruise ship Costa Concordia capsized off a Tuscan island, leaving 25 people and seven others missing and presumed dead.
