BORDEAUX, France (AFP) — French authorities on Wednesday confined more than 1,700 passengers and crew on a British cruise ship docked in Bordeaux after an elderly passenger died, said officials, who played down any links to the hantavirus scare.

Dozens also suffered from upset stomachs aboard the Ambition — most of whose 1,233 passengers are from Britain or Ireland — which arrived in the western port of Bordeaux on Tuesday, with 514 Indian crew members also on board.

But health officials said there was no connection with the hantavirus outbreak, suspected of killing three passengers on the Dutch MV Hondius cruise ship that set sail from Argentina.