A search is underway for a tourist who reportedly fell from a TUI-operated cruise ship north of the Canary Islands.

Spanish coastguards and police are said to have been mobilised after the adults-only Marella Explorer 2 sounded a ‘Man Overboard’ alert.

The alarm was sounded yesterday morning as the 14-deck vessel headed to the Canaries from Madeira, and the ship’s captain slowed it to a near-stop before activating ‘protocol procedures’.

These include reviewing cameras, launching marker buoys and conducting circular search manoeuvres.

Tenerife daily El Dia said the incident happened when the cruise liner was around 16 nautical miles from Punta de Teno.

Spanish coastguards, who have yet to make any official comment, are said to have mobilised two of their specialist rescue vessels as pa

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