A Southampton cruise ship today returned to the UK after rescuing six Algerians from a small boat in the Mediterranean.
The P&O cruise ship Oceana went to help the stricken vessel after seeing it was drifting off the Balearic Islands on Thursday.
It is understood from passengers on the Oceana that there were seven Algerians on board who had run out of supplies and were drifting without lights or radio equipment.
Passenger Steven Walker said the ship stopped in Gibraltar and one of the group was taken to hospital in Spain where he later died.
The other six have recovered and after returning to Southampton at 7am today were handed over to UK immigration officials.
The Home Office is in talks with P&O about the incident and is deciding what to do with the group.
The Oceana, which carries more than 2,000 passengers and 875 crew, had been on a two-week cruise to the western Mediterranean.
P&O refused to comment on the incident.
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