France locks down 1,700 on cruise ship after 90-year-old dies

Email: online@newsofbahrain.com

Bordeaux, France:  French authorities have confined more than 1,700 passengers and crew members aboard the British cruise ship Ambition following the death of a 90-year-old passenger. 

The vessel, which is currently docked in the western port of Bordeaux, was placed under lockdown as health officials investigated a wave of stomach illnesses among those on board.

The elderly passenger died before the ship reached Brest in France's northwestern Brittany region, though peak symptoms among other passengers were recorded while docked there on Monday. In addition to the fatality, approximately 50 people on the vessel which carries 1,233 mostly British and Irish passengers and 514 Indian crew members have exhibited symptoms of stomach issues.

Health officials have moved to play down any potential connection to a recent hantavirus outbreak suspected of killing passengers on a different cruise ship that departed from Argentina. 

While initial diagnostic tests have already ruled out norovirus, a highly contagious form of gastroenteritis, secondary testing remains underway. Authorities have not yet excluded the possibility of widespread food poisoning.

The Ambition, operated by Ambassador Cruise Line, originally departed from the Shetland Islands north of Scotland on May 6. The ship made several scheduled stops in Belfast, Northern Ireland, and Liverpool, England, before arriving in Bordeaux on Tuesday. It was originally scheduled to depart France for Spain before the lockdown measures were implemented.

Despite the confinement of those on board, its noted that no visible security cordons were in place around the ship as it sat in the Bordeaux dock on Wednesday. Passengers were seen taking photographs of the city from the decks while awaiting further updates. Health officials continue to monitor the situation to determine when the vessel will be cleared for departure.