Cruise Ship Runs Aground Near Site of Hijacking
ALEXANDRIA, Egypt — The Italian cruise liner Achille Lauro ran aground Sunday close to where it was hijacked by Palestinian guerrillas last year, but it was soon refloated, port officials said.
Six tugboats rescued the 23,629-ton ship, with about 600 tourists aboard, from sandbanks about two miles out at sea, where it had been stuck for 10 hours. Officials said the hull was not damaged.
Last October, hijackers held more than 400 passengers and crew members hostage for two days before surrendering to Egyptian authorities. The hijackers killed a crippled American tourist. An Italian court has convicted the four accused hijackers of weapons offenses, and they are awaiting trial on murder and piracy charges.
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