AT least five people have been killed, and a further three injured after a lifeboat fell into the sea from a cruise ship tied up at the port of Santa Cruz in the Canary Islands.

The island's Emergency and Security Coordination Center said rescue personnel were called to the dockside at 1205 GMT (7:05 a.m. EST) today after "a lifeboat with occupants had fallen overboard from a cruise ship docked at the pier of Santa Cruz port in La Palma."

According to reports the accident happened during a routine safety drill.

The lifeboat fell into the sea trapping occupants.

Those killed include three Indonesians, a Filipino and a Ghanaian.

The ship - the MS Thomson Majesty, is operated by UK-based Thomson Cruises.

The UK Foreign Office said it was aware of the incident and was "urgently investigating".

No passengers were involved in the accident, local reports say.

Independent News Service