Police in KwaZulu-Natal are currently investigating the death of a 29-year-old female crew on MSC Cruises' ship MSC Orchestra in Durban (South Africa) on Thursday, March 24.
National police spokesperson, Lieutenant-Colonel Robert Netshiunda, said the woman (from South Africa's Eastern Cape province) had been working on the liner and on duty when she had been found dead.
He said the police on Maydon Wharf had "registered an inquest docket and are investigating the circumstances surrounding the woman’s death.”
According to the public relations manager at MSC Cruises in South Africa, Lebo Mavuso, the company was appealing to the media to give the family privacy.
“The death, which we believe to have been of an accidental nature, is being investigated by the local authorities and we will continue to provide every assistance.”
Mavuso added the company would not be revealing the identity of the woman or further details.
According to a colleague of the woman, she had been found in a pool of blood. She had suffered injuries to her neck and head, bleeding to death.
There had been a medical emergency announcement over the public address system of the ship, and medical staff had gone to help the crew, but could not save her.
The woman was working in the Messhall (crew lounge/dining room) and that was her first contract on the liner.
MSC Orchestra restarted operations in South Africa in January 2022 after pausing for a month. The liner is currently sailing 3- and 4-night roundtrips from homeport Durban.
For more MSC Orchestra incidents and accidents see the ship's CruiseMinus page.