Triumph cruise passengers bring class action against Carnival Corp

(REUTERS)  - The owner of the stricken Carnival Triumph cruise ship was hit by a lawsuit seeking class action status for stranding more than 3,000 passengers for five days on a ship without electricity or adequate sanitation.

Carnival Corp should be held liable for physical and emotional anguish inflicted on the passengers as well as punitive damages, according to the lawsuit by passengers Matt and Melissa Crusan. The lawsuit was filed on Monday in a United States federal court in Miami.

The Triumph was towed into Mobile, Alabama, on Thursday, four days after a fire knocked out the ship's power while it was off the coast of Mexico.

The lawsuit alleged the world's largest cruise company failed to provide a seaworthy ship. In addition, "motivated solely by financial gain" Carnival negligently brought the Triumph to Mobile, where it would be repaired, rather than a closer Mexican port. That decision extended the trip by 563km, the plaintiffs said.