Giant cruise ship wrecked off Italy - over 8500 people on board

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• The "MSC World Europa" suffered an electrical engine failure on Tuesday morning
• 8,585 people are on board, supplies are running on emergency generators
• Tugs are to bring the ship to Naples, the coast guard is monitoring the situation

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The cruise ship "MSC World Europa" has broken down off the Italian island of Ponza between Rome and Naples due to technical problems. There are 8,585 people on board - including almost 6,500 passengers and over 2,000 crew members.

According to the Italian Coast Guard, the situation on the ship is stable. The weather and sea conditions are favorable and supplies on board are being secured with the help of generators. The ship arrived in the port of Naples in the evening.

The Maltese-flagged MSC Cruises ship was en route from Genoa to Naples when it reported an electrical problem with the engines at around 7.25 am. At that time, it was about eight nautical miles southwest of the island in the Tyrrhenian Sea.

According to media reports, two tugs are on their way to bring the ship to Naples. Technicians are also to check the system on board.

The coastguard sent two patrol boats and a helicopter to the region as a precaution. The situation is being continuously monitored by the sea rescue center in the port city of Civitavecchia.