Scores saved as school party's ship capsizes

All 64 pupils, staff and crew on the sailing ship were rescued by

nearby ships yesterday.

High winds and rough seas were blamed for the accident.

The boat was owned by West Island College International, based in Nova Scotia.

A spokesman confirmed the incident but declined to give details.

The school's website says it gives high school and college students the chance to study while sailing the world.

The ship had left Brazil's north-east on February 8 and was expected to dock in Montevideo, Uruguay on Tuesday.

Brazil's navy said a distress signal was picked up from the three-masted Concordia about 5pm local time (1900 GMT) yesterday about 300 miles off Rio de Janeiro.

Three hours later an air force plane spotted life rafts floating in the ocean.

The navy sent its own rescue ship but those aboard the Canadian ship were plucked from the ocean by other vessels.

Canada's Foreign Minister Lawrence Cannon said nobody on board was injured and he thanked Brazilian authorities for acting swiftly to assist the ship and its passengers.

The school said the Concordia was on a 10-month voyage. It added the "status of the vessel is unknown", although the Brazilian navy said it sank.