The passenger vessel MV Estrella de Llevant, inbound from the Canary archipelago with two hundred and eighty aboard, was held at the Almaria Vella breakwater yesterday evening after the Maritime Health Inspectorate confirmed three deaths and at least a dozen cases of acute gastrointestinal illness among the passengers. A boarding team met the ship at anchorage. Port Director Lluïsa Ferran has confirmed that disembarkation will be delayed by no less than forty-eight hours.

The ship is the second vessel in a week to be held off the Vella on grounds of illness, the ferry Reina del Mediterrani having been detained on Wednesday after three of its passengers fell ill en route from the Balearic crossing. The two incidents are, on the Inspectorate's current reading, unconnected. The coincidence has nevertheless drawn comment from the Opposition benches.

Renko, speaking from the steps of the Cortes yesterday morning, referred to the earlier ferry and charged that "forty-seven Almarians went home sick from that ferry" while the Government, in his telling, attended to other business. The figure appears to conflate passenger counts from more than one sailing; the Herald has not been able to verify it against the Inspectorate's own tally, which remains at the lower number.

Families awaiting passengers are being received at the Seamen's Mission on the Moll de Ponent, where the Cardenal's almoners have been in attendance since first light.