(ECNS) -- A cruise ship carrying more than 100 Chinese tourists suffered an engine-room fire off the Falkland Islands on Wednesday, the Beijing Youth Daily said.
All passengers and crew were safely evacuated from the vessel.
La Boreal, operated by French company Ponant, was around three miles north of the Falklands en route to South Georgia and the Antarctic Peninsula when the incident occurred, causing the loss of all power and leaving the ship drifting.
Altogether 257 passengers and crew from Le Boreal's life rafts were safely transferred to sister ship L'Austral, which arrived at the scene about eight hours after receiving the distress call.
British forces based in the Falkland Islands had already sent helicopters and retrieved another 90 people from the deck of the ship and from two life rafts in the water, according to foreign media.
A Chinese tourist surnamed Miao said the saved Chinese tourists seemed exhausted, and were offered 40 rooms to rest on L'Austral.
L'Austral planned to carry the saved people to Stanley, capital of the Falkland Islands.
Chinese tourists on Le Boreal registered the package tour through the Chinese travel agency Diadema Travel. The tour covering the Falkland Islands, South Georgia and the Antarctic Peninsula charges at least 149,000 yuan ($23,358), according to its website.
The firm and Ponant said in statements that the fire was caused by a technical incident in the engine room. An investigation into the fire has been launched and the remainder of the cruise has been cancelled.
A total of 3,367 Chinese people visited the South Pole from November 2013 to March 2014, comprising about 9 percent of the total number to the continent, and ranking third after visitors from the United States and Australia, according to the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators.
The travel season to the continent runs from November to March.
