Police have launched a murder probe following the death of a 60-year-old man on board the MSC Virtuosa – just eight months after a woman went overboard the 18-deck ship and died
The 60-year-old man killed on board the MSC Virtuosa this weekend is the second person to die on the luxury ship in the last eight months.
Police have launched a murder probe following reports that the victim died after an altercation broke out on the cruise ship that departed from Southampton. A 57-year-old man from Exeter, who was a passenger onboard the MSC Virtuosa, was arrested by police after it arrived back in Southampton on Monday morning, having departed for Bruges in Belgium, on Saturday, May 3.
The incident comes just eight months after a woman went overboard the 18-deck ship bound for Southampton and died.
Following Saturday’s incident, Hampshire Constabulary confirmed the victim’s next of kin have been informed and are being supported by specialist officers. The force said in a statement: “A homicide investigation has been launched following the death of a man in his 60s on the MSC Virtuosa on Saturday.
“It was reported that at around 8.30pm on 3 May, the victim died following an altercation. His next of kin have been informed and are being supported by specialist officers.
“As part of our enquiries, a 57-year-old man from Exeter has been arrested on suspicion of murder. He remains in custody at this time.” Anyone with information surrounding the circumstances of the incident are urged to contact Hampshire Constabulary.”
Detective Chief Inspector Matt Gillooly, the Senior Investigating Officer, added: “We want to reassure you that this appears to be an isolated incident on-board, and we want to thank the crew for their cooperation and assistance with our enquiries.”
Following Saturday’s events, a spokesperson for MSC Cruises said: “Following an incident on board our ship, the relevant authorities were contacted, and we are cooperating fully with their investigations. We are providing full support to those impacted.”
It comes just months after a woman went overboard the 18-deck cruise ship bound for Southampton and died. The incident sparked a huge search in the middle of the night, rescue services said.
Alarms were raised to passengers aboard the MSC Virtuosa at 12.55am on October 12, with the ship letting off ” three loud blasts” and the captain announcing there was a “man overboard” – forcing the ship to slow down and crews to launch the major search. One passenger told the Mirror that spotlights were used to light up the sea in a bid to find the missing man. The search covered north of Les Casquets rocks, west of Alderney.