A pair of newlyweds who leapt for their lives from a burning cruise liner were yesterday flying back to their Leigh home.

Glen and Carlotta Bird jumped from the Sun Vista and watched it sink off the west coast of Malaysia as they sat in a lifeboat waiting for help.

While the honeymooners are due home today, Rayleigh widower Peter Andrews will be returning on Thursday.

Carlotta, 25, and Glen, 35, were married on May 1 in Lavenham, Suffolk, and spent two weeks on honeymoon in the Far East before going on the cruise.

Carlotta's sister, Georgina Phillips, who runs the Jasmine Health and Beauty salon in Hamlet Court Road, Westcliff, said her sister had to leap from the ship just wearing a swimming costume and a sarong.

Carlotta's husband, Glen, an assistant manager at Basildon Glassworks in Winstanley Way, Basildon, had to leave wearing only a shirt and a pair of shorts.

Georgina said: "Glen phoned and told us what happened and we thought he was joking.

"They actually saw the ship sink as they sat in a lifeboat.

"It is so sad because they have lost all of their possessions.

"Carlotta took her wedding dress with her because they wanted the captain to bless their marriage on the boat.

"They had to watch all their things sink."

Peter Andrews' son Michael, of Rayleigh, said: "Dad phoned to let us know he is OK. He is carrying on with his holiday and is coming home on Thursday."

Peter, 76, was on the cruise to visit his wartime naval station at Singapore.

The Sun Vista started in Singapore, stopped in the Malaysian city of Malacca and then sailed to Phuket off the southern coast of Thailand. It was on its way back to Singapore when it sank.

Picture, top: Safe and sound - newlyweds Glen and Carlotta leapt from the sinking cruise ship.

Picture, bottom: Evacuation - passengers cram into lifeboats as the Sun Vista burns.

Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.