A woman has died onboard the MSC Virtuosa, a cruise ship moving towards the Channel Islands, rescue operators confirmed.

The woman in her mid-20s, whose real identity has not been revealed, died after she went overboard from the cruise ship accommodating over 6,300 passengers.

Her body was discovered after an alert was sent out at about 02:00 BST for a search to look for her at the north of Les Casquets rocks, west of Alderney.

One of the passengers on the ship said an alarm rang three times, signalling a person had gone overboard.

“I went up along with lots of other passengers to have a look. About half an hour later, the cruise director told us they were looking for a missing passenger, so we would be delayed into Southampton,” the passenger, who identified himself as Neil, told the BBC.

He said those on board the ship were also admonished to pray for their fellow passenger before the deceased was located by a French helicopter crew.

In a statement, the cruise ship’s owner explained that a guest onboard the MSC Virtuosa went overboard on October 12 while sailing to Southampton.

“The body was later recovered with the involvement of the authorities. We are deeply saddened by this tragic event, and our thoughts are with the family during this difficult time.

“Out of respect for their privacy, we will not be providing further details,” the statement read.

The Maltese-flagged cruise ship is 331m (1,086ft) long and 43m (141ft) wide, according to MarineTraffic, with accommodation for up to 6,334 passengers and 1,704 crew.

According to MSC, the vessel is 19 decks tall and was built in France in 2020.

Investigation into the real cause of the woman’s death on the cruise has begun. The French police were leading it.

Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary said officers were assisting with inquiries.

“It has been reported that the woman went overboard the MSC Virtuosa during the early hours and subsequently died,” the force said.