Transport Malta is investigating a fire that broke out in the engine room of a Maltese-registered passenger ship as it was cruising in the South China Sea.

Five crew members of the Azamara Quest were reportedly injured, including one seriously, but there were no reported injuries to the 599 passengers, Transport Malta said in a statement.

The fire was contained within the engine room and was quickly extinguished. It was also reported that the ship ran on generator power until full power was restored.

The damage caused by the fire has meant the rest of the cruise will be cancelled once the ship arrives in Sabah, Malaysia. The 17-night tour began in Hong Kong on Monday and was due to finish in Singapore on April 12.

Transport Malta’s Marine Safety Investigation Unit was in contact with the US-based International Safety Managers of the passenger ship.

The incident comes after two high profile incidents involving cruise liners. A Costa Concordia liner ran into a reef and capsized off the Tuscan island of Giglio in January, leaving 25 people dead and seven more missing, presumed dead.

A few weeks later, another Costa liner with 1,000 passengers on board, the Allegra, lost power after an engine room fire and was drifting in the Indian Ocean until it was towed to the Seychelles.

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