Two killed by toxic fumes in engine room.
The dismantling of one of the most famous cruise ships of the modern era, the former Pacific Princess, has begun on a tragic note, according to several press reports.
Turkey’s Hurriyet Daily News says two workers at the Turkish scrapyard where the 42-year-old vessel arrived late last week for disassembly were killed by toxic gas in its engine room.
Recognisable to millions as the “Love Boat” of 1970s television, the 19,903-ton ship is being taken apart for its metal and parts.
Tiny by today’s standards, the 600-passenger Pacific, as it is now known, arrived at the scrapyard in Izmir, Turkey on Wednesday after languishing at a dock in Genoa, Italy for several years. The vessel last sailed for Spanish-based Quail Cruises after changing hands a couple times since sailing for Princess Cruises from 1975 until 2002.
Built in 1971 for Flagship Cruises as the Sea Venture, the ship was renamed Pacific Princess in 1975 after joining the Princess fleet. It gained worldwide fame over the subsequent decade as the backdrop for ABC’s The Love Boat television series, which aired from 1977 to 1986. Take our ‘last look’ photo tour of the ship’s interior.
Read more here.
