Brazil hunts for Mexican who fell from cruise ship

MEXICO CITY (AP) The Brazilian navy is searching for a man who fell or jumped from a cruise ship carrying Mexican World Cup soccer fans, Mexican officials and the cruise company said Thursday.

The travel agency that arranged the cruise, Grupo Mundomex, identified the passenger as Jorge Alberto Lopez Amores and said that four witnesses reported that he had leaped from the MSC Divina - from a height equivalent to 15 stories - ''of his own will.'' It did not give details, though the Televisa network interviewed witnesses who said the man appeared to have been drinking heavily.

The vessel was carrying about 3,500 Mexican fans between the cities of Fortaleza and Recife when the incident occurred.

Mexico's ambassador to Brazil, Beatriz Paredes, told Televisa that Brazilian officials were searching for the man.

The company that operates the vessel, MSC Cruises, said in a statement that it notified Brazilian authorities immediately after the incident at 5 p.m. local time on Wednesday.