Murder on QM2? - Copied from BBC

[English Jane]

Crew member dies on luxury ship

 

The Queen Mary 2 is one of the world's largest cruise ships

 

A member of staff on board the Queen Mary 2 cruise ship has died after an alleged attack by a colleague.

Cunard, the vessel's owner, said the Filipino man, aged 40, was assaulted by a Filipino crew member, 49, on Friday.

He was airlifted off the ship to a Netherlands hospital with serious head injuries but died on the way.

The QM2 is registered in Southampton, which gives UK police jurisdiction. Four officers have boarded the ship in Bergen, Norway, where it has docked.

Hampshire Police said the alleged assailant had been confined to his cabin on board the vessel after the incident.

The men had allegedly become embroiled in a fight below deck at around 1500 BST.

'Deepest sympathy'

A police spokeswoman said: "A 49-year-old Filipino man was detained on the ship by the captain under section 105 of the Merchant Shipping Act.

"Four detectives and three crime scene investigators have flown to Norway and boarded the ship at Bergen.

"While en route back to the UK the police officers will be speaking to any members of the ship's crew who may have witnessed the incident."

A post mortem on the dead crew member will take place next week in the Netherlands.

The cruise around Norway is going ahead as planned and the QM2 is due back in Southampton on Wednesday.

Cunard spokesman Michael Gallagher said: "The company are very shocked by this event and Cunard is in contact with the victim's family to whom we send our deepest sympathy." The QM2 - a 1,132ft vessel which cost an estimated £422m to build - can carry up to 2,620 passengers who are looked after by a crew of 1,253.