Liner hits quay on maiden cruise

VALLETTA (Reuters) - New Cunard liner Queen Victoria hit a quay with her stern while berthing in Valletta Harbour in Malta on her maiden call on Wednesday.

"The ship was being turned when the stern hit with a loud scraping noise" a witness told Reuters.

The Malta Maritime Authority (MMA) said it was conducting an investigation.

The MMA said the incident happened when the ship developed mechanical failure. The 9,000 tonne vessel suffered damage to its stern and caused limited damage to the fender system. No one was injured.

The ship, which has 1,000 mostly British holiday makers on board, will stay overnight for repairs and leave for Gibraltar on Thursday.

The Queen Victoria is the second biggest ship in the Cunard line and joined the fleet in December.

(Reporting by Christopher Scicluna)