Stranded Cruise Ship to Be Towed to Port

Weekend fire left it dead in the water in Gulf of Mexico

A Carnival cruise ship in the Gulf of Mexico with more than 4,200 passengers and crew will be towed to port after a weekend engine fire left it dead in the water, a cruise line official said.

The U.S. Coast Guard cutter Vigorous arrived early Monday to aid the stranded ship. The first of two tugboats is expected on the scene by midday, said Greg Magee, commander of the Vigorous.

The Carnival Triumph was about 150 miles off the coast of Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula, heading back to Galveston, Texas, when the fire broke out in an engine room Sunday morning, according to Carnival Cruise Lines. The ship's automatic fire extinguishing system kicked in and soon contained the blaze, and no injuries were reported, Carnival said Monday.