(4:45 p.m. EDT) -- According to Britain's Daily Mail, a 65-year-old female cruise passenger died and her husband incurred head injuries after a gangway collapsed in Genoa yesterday while MSC Cruises' MSC Splendida was boarding passengers for a weeklong Mediterranean cruise. The couple was reportedly on the metal walkway when it plunged 30 feet into the sea.
Crewmembers and dock workers reportedly jumped into the water to rescue the couple; the woman was declared dead at the scene. The story further states that the victim was Spanish, according to a harbour master spokesman, and that the tragic accident is under investigation.
Cruise Critic did not receive confirmation or a statement from the cruise line by press time; stay tuned.
Last year, an MSC Fantasia passenger was injured when a gangway collapsed in Palma de Mallorca due to strong winds; local port authorities confirmed responsibility for that incident.
