ATHENS - The Greek coast guard on Thursday mounted a large rescue operation to help some 1,200 passengers, mainly from the US and Germany, from a cruise boat that was sinking after it ran aground near the Aegean Sea island of Santorini, the merchant marine ministry said.
The 143-metre (472-foot) boat operated by Cyprus-based Louis Hellenic Cruise Lines, the Sea Diamond, ran aground on a rocky coast one nautical mile off the shores of Santorini.
"The boat was attempting to moor but ran aground in shallow waters," a local boatman told private Antenna television.
The passengers on board were abandoning the ship, which had listed heavily, using boats and rope ladders, news reports said.
"The ship is around 50 metres from the pier, and the listing has stabilised," a local coast guard official told Net state television.
"The disembarkation is proceeding normally," he added.
A Super Puma rescue helicopter was dispatched to the scene, along with patrol boats from the surrounding area.
The local health centre was on alert to receive any injured passengers
"We have sent a team of doctors to the harbour to give first aid, and all our staff are on standby," health centre chief Matthaios Darzentas told Net.
The Sea Diamond was launched in 1986, and was renovated nearly a decade ago. It has a crew of 400.
Louis Hellenic Cruise Lines operates several cruises to Greece and the Greek Islands.
04/05/2007 14:39 GMT