Costa Allegra Being Towed to Mahe, Expected to Arrive on Thursday [PHOTOS]

Costa Cruises, the Italian company that owns the Costa Concordia, has not had an easy time of things in the recent past.

Following on from the wreck and controversy of the Concordia, the Costa Allegra, its sister ship, found itself stranded several hundred miles off the coast of the island of Seychelles. The Allegra suffered a fire break-out, which led to a loss of all power and could even lead to a loss of radio contact.

The ship has more than 1,000 passengers on board, including 31 Britons. Fortunately, no injuries have been reported so far.

The Allegra is currently being towed by a French fishing vessel, at the speed of 2 knots and, according to a report in The Telegraph, will be taken to the island of Mahe, rather than the smaller island of Desroches in the south-west of the Seychelles. The Telegraph report also adds that two other vessels are on their way to help the Allegra.

Meanwhile, a statement from the company reads: "Costa Cruises informs that in view of extensive and accurate checks carried out with local maritime experts' support, in order to ensure the safety of our guests on board, the disembarkation on Desroches island cannot be performed and therefore it has been decided that the ship will be towed to Mahe."

The ship is expected at Victoria, the capital of Seychelles, on Thursday morning.

However, the situation is still a precarious one.

"The situation could change because we are not talking about a normal navigation, emergency electrical supply is working for lighting, not for air condition, refrigeration or other ship services," a Costa spokesman is quoted as saying by ABC.

Relatives in the UK can contact the company's helpline on 020 7940 3300.

Meanwhile check out the latest photos of the Costa Allegra