An Italian cruise ship ran aground on a sandbar off the west coast of Italy on Friday night, and news reports said at least six people were killed. About 3,200 passengers and 1,023 crew members on board the ship were being evacuated by lifeboats, helicopters and other ships near the island of Giglio, off Tuscany, according to the Italian Coast Guard. The Italian news agency Ansa quoted rescue workers as saying at least six people were killed and a number were injured. The cause of the deaths was not yet known, but Ansa said some people had jumped into the water. About five hours after the episode, several hundred people were still waiting to be evacuated. The Coast Guard said that the ship had taken on water and was listing about 20 degrees but that there was no danger of it sinking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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