MSC Magnifica: Navy brings German ashore

(FASTNEWS | COLOMBO) –  The Sri Lanka Navy has brought ashore a German female on board the Swiss-owned MSC Magnifica cruise ship en-route to Italy from Australia, due to a heart condition.

The Navy said the German national was admitted to the Colombo National Hospital for further treatment.

Earlier a Sri Lankan on board the cruise ship was brought ashore by a Navy team.

Navy Spokesman Lieutenant Commander Isuru Sooriyabandara said the Navy team was dispatched earlier to receive the local, as the cruise ship was not allowed to enter Lankan waters.

Lieutenant Commander Isuru Sooriyabandara said the local was received by the Navy team near the Sri Lanka maritime boundary line.

The crew member will be kept in isolation for 21 days at the Boossa quarantine centre.

He was part of the MSC Magnifica cruise ship crew as a chef. Yesterday, he released a video on social media requesting the government to allow him to enter the country as the cruise ship was nearing Lankan waters.

The cruise ship with 1,700 foreigners on board was blocked from disembarking in Western Australia after reporting more than 250 passengers on board with a ‘respiratory illness’.

The cruise ship commenced the journey back to Italy on the 24th of March.