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One crew member has died and four others have been injured in an accident on the Harmony of the Seas, the world's biggest cruise ship.

The 42-year-old Filipino crew member died when a lifeboat, with five crew, became detached from the fifth deck during a safety exercise.

It fell 10m (33ft) into the water. Two crew members are in hospital with life-threatening injuries.

The accident happened during a stopover in Marseille.

The injured crew members included three other Filipinos and an Indian man, AFP reports.

The Royal Caribbean Cruise company, which operates the Harmony of the Seas, also confirmed the death on its Twitter account. "We're keeping our colleagues and their families in our thoughts and prayers," the company said.

Harmony of the Seas is the world's largest cruise ship at 362m long, and can hold more than 8,000 passengers and crew.

It is higher than a 25-storey building, and longer than the height of the Eiffel Tower. It entered service in May this year.

Among its luxurious facilities are 20 restaurants, 23 swimming pools, a theatre and a casino.