The freak waves smashed windows in the Louis Majesty, the ship's Cypriot owners, Louis Cruises, said in a statement.

"Louis Cruises regrets to announce that its Maltese-flagged cruise ship, MV Louis Majesty, while sailing from Barcelona to Genoa was hit by abnormal waves.

"As a result, the windows in a public area on deck 5 on the forward part of the vessel smashed resulting in the fatal injury of two passengers of German and Italian nationality while 14 more passengers suffered light injuries."

"The vessel’s medical team is already providing all possible care to the injured passengers," Louis Cruises said in the statement, released in Cyprus.

Spanish news reports said one of the injured was a 62-year-old woman who was in serious condition with both her legs broken.

The captain rerouted the ship to the Spanish port of Barcelona, where it docked late Wednesday.

Spanish police cordoned off the port area, where several ambulances were waiting to evacuate the dead and injured.

"Louis Cruises extends its sincere condolences to the families of the two victims and its full support to the injured passengers while expressing its deep sorrow for the incident," the statement said.

"The ship was on a 12-day cruise from the ports of Genoa and Marseilles in the western Mediterranean calling at Tangiers, Casablanca, Tenerife, Lanzarote, Cadiz, Cartagena, Barcelona and was due to return to Genoa tomorrow (March 4).

"She is carrying 1350 passengers and 580 crew members."

A spokeswoman for the Barcelona port authority said the vessel would continue to Genoa after evacuating the victims.

The 200-metre-long, 41 000-tonne Louis Majesty has 732 cabins.

AFP

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