Mexican cruise ship fire, power loss, and evacuation

MEXICO CITY -- A generator fire knocked out power to the ship of a newly started Mexico-based cruise line, forcing the evacuation of nearly 800 passengers and crew Saturday, Oaxaca state authorities said.

The fire aboard the Ocean Star Pacific was quickly controlled Saturday morning and there were no injuries, said Luis Zarate Carballido, spokesman for the Oaxaca Civil Protection Agency.

He said 522 passengers and 226 crew members were being evacuated by catamaran to the port of Huatulco and would then be flown to Mexico City. Zarate said the ship was about 6 miles (10 kilometers) offshore and would be towed to Huatulco for repairs.

The vessel belonging to the new Ocean Star Cruise line was headed from Huatulco to Acapulco, resorts on Mexico's southern Pacific coast, according to reservations employee Carlos Salazar.

A company website says the ship has a capacity for 1,050 passengers. The new line that serves only Mexican ports started operations earlier this month, according to the website.

Zarate said civil protection workers were on hand to help passengers when they reached Huatulco.

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