ROUGH CUT - NO REPORTER NARRATION
The Azamara Quest cruise ship temporarily stranded off the south Philippines coast after a fire disabled engines, injuring five crew, is heading for an eastern Malaysia port under emergency power, the Philippines coast guard and the ship's owner said on Saturday.
Coast Guard Captain Perfecto Eden said the Azamara Quest, carrying 600 passengers and 411 crew and which made a port call in Manila on Wednesday, is now on its way to Sandakan port, in the eastern Malaysian state of Sabah after the fire was put out on Saturday.
Eden said all the passengers were safe. The vessel is operated by Miami-based Azamara Club Cruises.
A Philippine Navy ship is escorting the cruise until it crosses the Malaysian maritime border, Eden added.
The rest of the cruise, carrying mainly Americans and Western Europeans, has been canceled the company said, adding that "the captain deemed it necessary to muster all guests at their assembly stations."
The Azamara Quest was on a 17-night journey and had departed Hong Kong on Monday with port calls to Manila, Balikpapan (Borneo), Palapo (Sulawesi), Benoa Bali, Semarang and Komodo in Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore.
