Baltic cruise ship runs aground

RIGA, Latvia (AP) -- The cruise ship Mona Lisa with 984 people on board ran aground early Sunday in the Baltic Sea, off the northwest coast of Latvia, the coast guard said.

Coast guard spokeswoman Liene Ulbina said all the passengers were safe and they were not at immediate risk. Most are German, she said.

Air force and border guards were on standby, but there were no signs of damage to the Bahamas-registered vessel, which was stranded in the Irbe strait outside Riga, a Latvian Coast Guard Service statement said.

Ulbina said coast guard ships had arrived at the scene, but it remained unclear whether they would attempt to evacuate the passengers or try to pull the ship off the ground.

The coast guard said the crew had been inspecting the ship and had not found any signs of damage or oil tank leaks. E-mail to a friend

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