5 dead in lifeboat drill in Canary Islands, safety drill gone wrong kills five crew members

MADRID (CNN) -- A safety drill gone wrong on a cruise ship resulted in the death of five crew members in the Canary Islands, Thomson Cruises said Sunday.

Three other workers were injured, though not seriously, the cruise line said.

The incident happened just before noon Sunday on board the Thomson Majesty while it was docked in La Palma, among the smallest of Spain's Canary Islands.

Local media, citing the Civil Guard, reported that the accident happened when a lifeboat, carrying the victims, fell from the cruise ship during the safety drill.

The cruise line didn't immediately confirm those details, saying in a statement, "We are working closely with the ship owners and managers, Louis Cruises, to determine exactly what has happened and provide assistance to those affected by the incident. We are also working closely with all relevant authorities and will be co-operating fully with their investigations."

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