An explosion on the liveaboard Nai'a in Fiji has left one workman dead and two injured.
The liveaboard was on a slipway undergoing annual maintenance - no crew or passengers were aboard. The workmen were coating a water tank beneath the passenger accommodation when the explosion happened.
The hull and engine were unscathed, but the passenger accommodation was damaged - it will be gutted and rebuilt. The refit is expected to take two to three months. In the meantime, the liveaboard M/V Lycianda has been chartered to take divers who were booked on Nai'a.
In a statement, the liveaboard's owners said: 'We will follow the same Nai'a itineraries, with our usual cruise directors, crew, food, comfort and diving standards. Nai'a is a special and much-loved ship. But our dive services, especially the vital triangle of our independent skiffs, dedicated guides and magnificent coral reefs are the main reason you are joining us. The spirit of Nai'a will carry on even if a different hull temporarily carries the load.'
