Tourists rescued as Fiji cruise slams into reef near famous Cast Away island

Tourists rescued as Fiji cruise slams into reef near famous Cast Away islandThe luxury Fiji Princess cruise ship was left trapped near Monuriki Island - the picturesque filming location for the 2000 Tom Hanks movie Cast Away - with at least 30 passengers rescuedNewsZahra Khaliq News Reporter16:08, 06 Apr 2026Updated 16:09, 06 Apr 2026View 2 ImagesThe luxury cruise ship slammed into a reefDozens of cruise ship passengers were rescued from a remote island after the luxury vessel slammed into a reef and got stuck.‌The Fiji Princess, operated by Blue Lagoon, was left trapped near Monuriki Island - the picturesque filming location for the 2000 Tom Hanks movie Cast Away. At least 30 passengers were saved and taken to shore, along with their luggage, on Sunday - the day after the ship hit the reef.‌A ferry took the passengers to safety at first light before moving them and 30 crew members to Port Denarau.‌"All were safely rescued yesterday and moved to [Port] Denarau," the Fiji Navy told ABC News. "We understand there still some crew members on board. There were no reported injuries and all were safe."Blue Lagoon Cruises said an investigation into the matter is ongoing, but initial indications suggest a "severe squall" lead to the ship's anchor dragging towards a nearby reef, which caused it to stop.‌View 2 ImagesThe 2000 Tom Hanks movie Cast Away was filmed at Monuriki Island (Image: Getty Images/Westend61)"Conditions upon the ship anchoring in the area were calm, and it appears a severe squall caused the ship's anchor to drag towards a nearby reef whereby the ship became grounded," they said.The company added that any pumpable fuel or oil on board the ship had been removed to reduce the risk of an environmental disaster.Article continues belowAn Australian salvage specialist had been on the scene since Sunday to oversee recovery efforts, the statement said.The Maritime Safety Authority of Fiji (Msaf) said it had sent offi...